Breakfast clubs a ‘lifeline’ for working parents

New research reveals a third of today’s British working mothers would have to give up work if it wasn’t for school breakfast clubs

Ahh, the weekday morning routine; a frantic mix of getting small, sleepy children out of bed, tearing them away from their iPads or morning cartoons, supervised teeth-brushing, hunting for lost shoes, coat-zipping, manoeuvring them out of the door and trying to persuade them to finish that piece of toast before most of it ends up on the floor of the car. Sound familiar? And as much as we know that taking time over a healthy breakfast is great for bonding and learning, as well as giving our children the best possible start to the day, the truth is, finding the time feels almost impossible sometimes.

A report by Kellogg’s has looked into the role that school breakfast clubs play in the lives of working families and has revealed that 27% of parents feel the absence of their child’s breakfast club would mean at least one parent would be forced out of work – with 33% of mums bearing the burden.

Describing mornings as ‘tiring’ and ‘stressful’, just one in five working mothers and fathers claimed they found time to enjoy breakfast with their children, with 60% admitting the school breakfast clubs are ‘very important’ for their family’s survival and routine.

And despite the fact that us Brits are becoming more health-focused, working mums and dads are still letting their busy day get the better of them. Many parents revealed they offered their children bribes to get out of the door on time – with 20% handing out biscuits instead of breakfast.

A further 20% of the 2,003 parents surveyed also admitted that they save more than £50 per week by sending their child to breakfast clubs – but it isn’t just ‘squeezed’ families who rely on the school clubs. A quarter of top level professionals admitted they needed the clubs to help juggle childcare and to ensure they get to work on time.

“Breakfast clubs are about much more than cereal and toast in the morning,” says Megan Jarvie, head of policy and public affairs at the Family and Childcare Trust. “Our research shows that breakfast clubs can help children do better in school and beyond, can help parents commit to their job’s work hours and can provide working families with the support they need to manage a work-life balance in modern Britain.”

Read more about Kellogg’s report here, or join in the conversation at @KellogsUK #ParentsLifeline.