Research from Kellogg’s Oaties has found that a growing number of families are navigating the so-called “5-9 before the 9-5″. Parents clock up an average of 2.3 hours of household chores and complete more than 20 separate tasks before the paid workday even begins.
Almost three in five (58%) set their alarms before 6am just to fit it all in, while 82% of parents admit the last 15 minutes before leaving the house is more stressful than their actual job.
With three in ten (29%) saying they get less than 5 minutes to themselves each morning, 78% of parents even look forward to the notoriously dreaded commute as the only downtime of their day.
Between packing lunches and hunting for missing shoes, it’s no surprise that an estimated 17.1 million cups of tea or coffee go cold and 27.9 million bowls of cereal goes soggy each week during the school morning rush.
Seven in ten (69%) admit to dashing out the door with wet hair, while others confess to wearing yesterday’s outfit (21%), forgetting to lock the door (22%), or skipping brushing their teeth (10%) amidst the morning rush.
Overload has already set in across the nation, with two thirds of parents (66%) saying they feel burnt out by the school routine within the first two weeks of term, and 87% admit they are already drained before the school run is even over. The top stressors derailing the school run include missing shoes (35%), children refusing to get out of bed (33%) and last-minute toilet trips (33%).
Stressed out parents say they would trade an hour of sleep in the evening (30%), social media access (17%), their gym membership (12%), or even a holiday (11%) for a calmer start to the day.
UK PARENTS’ TOP 10 HURDLES DERAILING THE SCHOOL RUN
- 1. Missing shoes
- 2. Refusing to get out of bed
- 3. Last-minute toilet trips
- 4. Outfit standoffs
- 5. Forgotten homework
- 6. Breakfast complaints
- 7. Toothbrush tantrums
- 8. Sibling squabbles
- 9. Hair drama
- 10. Lost school bags
To combat the chaos of weekday mornings, Kellogg’s Oaties is on a mission to help parents across the nation conquer their 5-9’s and create their own “crunch time” hacks. Designed to protect that rare window of calm, Kellogg’s Oaties is an oat-based cereal developed to meet the needs of busy families and, crucially, it stays crunchy in milk.
It comes as the research also found that 94% of parents say having a set morning routine improves their mental well-being, with almost half (48%) valuing breakfast as the calmest and most important point of connection in the day.
To support the campaign, Kellogg’s has partnered with celebrity parents Cara and Nathan Delahoyde-Massey, who have shared their personal tips for managing the morning “crunch time”. Their top tips include:
1. Plan ahead the night before. Laying out uniforms and packing lunches in advance helps mornings flow more smoothly.
2. Make breakfast your anchor. Even a few minutes together around the breakfast table helps everyone connect, reset and get ready for the day.
3. Turn routines into rewards. Simple charts or fun incentives can turn everyday tasks – like brushing teeth or getting dressed – into mini wins.
4. Build in a buffer. Allowing a few spare minutes for the unexpected keeps mornings running smoothly and spirits high.
5. Cherish the small moments. Pause to appreciate the small moments that make the morning rush worthwhile – a final hug before school, a quick conversation along the way, or the first peaceful sip of coffee once the kids are off.
Cara Delahoyde-Massey, former Love Island star and mother of two, says: “We’ve had our fair share of chaotic mornings, but finding a routine has made a huge difference. For us, breakfast is the anchor – it’s the one moment where we sit down together before the day properly starts. Having something like Oaties that’s quick, tasty and actually stays crunchy in milk really helps us keep that time intact.”
Nathan Delahoyde-Massey adds: “With kids, there’s always a curveball – from missing shoes to last-minute homework dramas. Having a bit of a plan, and a breakfast that doesn’t go soggy, means those surprises don’t throw the whole morning off.’
Lejla Damon, Senior Activation Brand Manager at Kellogg’s, says: “There’s plenty of conversation around the 9–5, but far less about the 5–9 that comes before it, where households are effectively run like mini businesses. We know a thing or two about breakfast, and our research highlights both the pressure and the moments of connection that get families through, with breakfast emerging as a key time to reconnect. Oaties was developed to help take one thing off parents’ plates – a cereal that stays crunchy in milk, so breakfast can be enjoyed, rather than rushed.”
Kellogg’s Oaties are available now in Original Crunch and Choco Crunch in major supermarkets nationwide.
