Uniroyal Tyres
Written: Tuesday, January 19, 2010SCHOOL DAZE
8.25am is the most stressful time of the day for modern mums, it emerged yesterday (Mon).
Getting the kids out of bed and into their uniform, encouraging them to eat their breakfast and pack school bags leaves mums frazzled before they leave the house.
But 8.25am - when most mothers are battling through rush-hour traffic to get their children into class on time - is when stress levels reach their peak, research revealed.
The study also found ploughing their way through traffic leaves four out of ten working mums stressed out before they even reach their desk.
Yesterday Tracey Hyem of Uniroyal, which conducted the poll of 2,000 mums said: ''Getting everything and everyone ready and dropping the kids at school makes a very stressful start of the day for mums.
''Driving is something that requires concentration and when you add wet weather into the mix the situation can get dangerous.
''One in five mums drive the kids to school when it's raining, when they would normally walk.
''This adds to the cars on the road, and with the distractions and stress generated, extra care is essential.
''All drivers need to increase the distance between themselves and the vehicle in front to account for increased stopping distances in the wet weather.''
The report also found four out of ten mums believe the school run is enough to make even the most patient people lose their cool.
A similar figure have been involved in road rage incidents in the rush to get the little ones to school.
Forty two per cent of mums said they had snapped at the kids on the way to school, regardless of whether they were well-behaved or not.
More than half of mums then drive to work after they have dropped the kids off at school, but admit their morning routine gives them a bad start to the day.
The poll also revealed millions of mums have a hard time organising the whole family on a day to day basis.
Forty per cent said the school run was the most stressful part of the day, while 38 per cent said making sure their child had the right P.E. kit, letters, homework, dinner money and permission slips was enough to have them tearing their hair out.
More than a third said getting the kids dressed in the morning was tricky, while 21 per cent struggled with breakfast and 27 per cent dread 'inevitable' traffic jams.
Top TV psychologist Donna Dawson, who specialises in personality and behaviour and has appeared on This Morning and Sky News, said: ''There is nothing more stressful or potentially distracting than travelling with children to be somewhere quickly, and both stress and distraction eat into concentration while driving.
''The only way to prepare for this - apart from organising as much as you can the night before and setting the alarm to allow for plenty of time - is to accept that you will feel stressed, and to plan to deal with it as it arises.
''At the beginning of a stressful moment, take a few, deep, slow breaths.
''While driving, make yourself extra alert, and even slow down a bit. If possible take a mental 'step back' and try to see the funny side of things, even by having a laugh with the kids.
''There is nothing like 'humour' to decrease stress, as it floods your mind and body with feel-good chemicals.''
Bad weather emerged as a trigger for mum's stress levels. Nearly eight in ten said they hated driving in snow and ice and 44 per cent avoided getting in the car when it was foggy.
A third found winter sun glare a problem, while three in ten felt on edge driving in the rain. One in five went as far as to say they disliked driving in the dark.
And once mum is safely on her way to work, she finds it hard to wind down after her hectic start to the day.
In fact, mums reckon it takes them at least 14 minutes of driving to calm down after dropping the kids off at school, and 40 per cent admit their driving takes the brunt of their bad mood.
And even if they do manage to get a rein on their emotions, delays and accidents, traffic jams and inconsiderate motorists can leave them quaking with anger behind the wheel.
Just under half of mums polled say they have been guilty of poor driving because they were late for work, and the average mum suffers up to THREE near-misses during the course of one year as she rushes between school and work.
