Culture Post: Back-to-School Anxiety: 3 in 5 Parents Stressed Out Just Thinking About Packing Lunches Again

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on StudyFinds.

Two in five parents are the most stressed out before the school day even begins. That’s according to a survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children that looked at some of the biggest pain points for parents getting ready for back-to-school season. Trouble begins at the grocery store of all places for more than half of parents (54%).

Grocery shopping is not an easy task for parents. The top hurdle is trying to stay within a budget (50%), with accommodating all their loved ones’ unique taste preferences coming in a close second (49%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of HelloFresh, the survey finds that nearly three in five (59%) parents say they’re stressed just thinking about packing their kids’ lunches again — with expensive groceries (56%) and just not having enough time to make lunch (40%) sending parents spinning.

Although plenty of parents budget during the summer to prepare for the back-to-school season (58%), parents spend an extra $390 on groceries per person in their household during the school year. Most parents still find planning and making dinner stressful (59%), even though 41 percent of parents agree that it is the easiest meal to prepare for kids during the school year.

On average, parents pack lunches for their children three times a week, trying to prioritize healthy options above all (57%). Most parents always try to include fruits and vegetables for lunch (83%) but are likely to see them untouched in their kid’s lunch box at the end of the day.

Half of the parents add their kids make things a bit easier by asking for their “usual” lunch selection, while another 36 percent of parents have had to get creative when their kid asks for lunch inspired by a classmate’s lunch.

Source: StudyFinds
https://www.studyfinds.org/back-to-school-anxiety-parents-packing-lunch/

Find more culture news on HomeWord’s Culture Blog, named in 2021 for the sixth consecutive year, as one of the top 50 culture blogs on the planet!

Help us reach the next generation of families

Donate
Back to Top

[reposted by] Jim Liebelt

Jim is Senior Writer, Editor and Researcher for HomeWord. Jim has 40 years of experience as a youth and family ministry specialist, having served over the years as a pastor, author, consultant, mentor, trainer, college instructor, and speaker. Jim’s HomeWord culture blog also appears on Crosswalk.com and Religiontoday.com. Jim and his wife Jenny live in Quincy, MA.

  • About HomeWord

    HomeWord helps families succeed by creating Biblical resources that build strong marriages, confident parents, empowered kids and healthy leaders. Founded by Jim Burns, HomeWord seeks to advance the work of God in the world by educating, equipping, and encouraging parents and churches. Learn More »

  • Support Our Mission

    HomeWord is non-profit, donor supported ministry. If you would like to partner with HomeWord in our effort to help more parents and families you can make a donation. Your investment will allow us to expand this ministry by offering more resources to families and churches in need.

  • Contact Information

    • HomeWord
      PO Box 1600
      San Juan Capistrano, CA
      92693

    • Send us an email

    • 800-397-9725
      (M-F: 8:30am-5pm PST)

Close