Reducing parental stress and the role wraparound care can play

Parenting can be so wonderful and fulfilling; having small versions of yourself to love, teach and have fun with is like nothing else. But of course, it has its challenges! And as parents, at some time or another we will experience some level of parental stress.

What does this mean? From dealing with child behaviour, managing schedules and guiding them through emotions to trying to keep your little one healthy, you may find that all these things, on top of other life stresses, can leave you feeling overwhelmed.

A good definition of parenting stress is: “When a parent’s perception of the demands of parenting outstrips his or her resources.” Essentially, it’s feeling like we can’t cope.

In fact, there is even a measurement tool designed to effectively measure parenting stress, the Parenting Stress Index, which takes the format of a questionnaire. Results can help parents to get the support and help they need to help manage stress and maintain a healthy parent-child relationship.

We understand the careful juggling that parenting demands, and in this article we are going to look at some main causes of parenting stress and how our wraparound care provision can help to alleviate a key trigger.

Who experiences parenting stress?

Parents in this day and age have challenges and pressures not experienced by previous generations. Not only are academic and sporting expectations high but with the rise of social media, parents are now having to navigate the issues that come with their children having an online presence.

And, thanks to the economic climate and cost of living, more and more families are finding that both parents have to work in order to make ends meet. This places an extra strain on maintaining a healthy work-life balance, childcare, and managing school schedules around work.

So it’s not surprising that 33% of parents report high levels of stress within their daily lives.

What are the triggers of parenting stress?

There are a multitude of factors that can affect a parent’s well-being and make them feel as if they are unable to cope. The main ones are as follows:

Financial stress

Keeping up with all of the costs associated with raising children can be a cause of stress for parents, especially in turbulent times. From ensuring their basic needs are met to paying for activities, school uniforms and days out, not to mention childcare, costs soon add up.

Inadequate support

“It takes a village” is a well-known saying when it comes to raising kids, especially those in early childhood. But the family structure has changed to become a lot more complex, and where community or family support systems were once the norm, many parents now find themselves with very little social support, with 8 in ten UK parents saying they have struggled with loneliness and isolation.

Time management

Managing schedules including work, the school day, extracurricular activities, socialising and family commitments can certainly lead to stressed-out parents.

Every day brings a new demand: which club is after school tonight? Who can do pick-up? I have a meeting so need to get to work by 8.30, can you do the school run? We need to find time to do some reading after school…

It can feel relentless and is a common cause for raised stress levels, especially as the increased time spent working and caring for children means there is little time for self-care or leisure time.

Behaviour

Challenging behaviour from a child is sure to evoke high levels of stress, but with parenting stress also known to directly impact child behaviour, this is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

What are the symptoms of parenting stress?

Parents who are experiencing chronic stress and even parental burnout may find themselves suffering from both mental health issues as well as physical health issues. For example, they may experience:

• Trouble sleeping
• Feeling anxious all the time
• Irritability
• Emotional exhaustion
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Inability to concentrate

How to cope with parenting stress

The good news is, there are small steps you can take to manage stress before you reach parental burnout. Mental health charity Mind has some useful advice, so we’d recommend referring to their guidance as well as trying the following:

• Incorporating moments of ‘you time’ into every day can help you to feel calmer and lift your mood. Just by reading a book for ten minutes, doing some yoga or stretching, or going for a quick walk can do wonders for your mental health.
• Stop aiming for perfection! If your child has a ‘beige tea’ for two nights in a row, they won’t be any worse off. Cut yourself some slack if you need to, children certainly don’t want perfect parents, they want parents who are present and content.
• Ask for help, whether you can engage family members, friends or childcare providers, it’s important to offload so you don’t become overwhelmed.

How to manage the stress of mornings and evenings

Working parents of primary school-aged children often cite the mornings and evenings as extremely stressful, in fact research has shown that over half of parents find mornings the most stressful part of the day, and it’s no wonder.

Not only are you trying to get yourself ready for work and mentally running through your to-do list, but you’re also having to get children up, dressed, breakfasted and out the door – all while wondering how you’ll make the 9.15am meeting that landed in your calendar at 5pm the day before.

The late afternoon and evening periods are similar. Juggling work and school pick-up, reading and homework, as well as preparing dinner – it’s a lot!

So what’s the solution?

Having a clear routine for the morning and evening is key in helping to reduce stress. It’s important that children know the routine so that they go to school feeling calm and well-prepared.

Top tips

• Get things ready the night before. Lay out school uniforms, make packed lunches, pack school bags and track down wayward water bottles.
• Make sure your child goes to bed at a reasonable time. This will help them rise easily when the alarm goes off, with minimal grumbling!
• Create a visual checklist for your kids so they know what’s expected of them. Uniform on? Check! Teeth clean? Check! Hair brushed? Check!

How wraparound care can help relieve stress

There is another way parents can make mornings (and evenings!) less stressful: wraparound care.

Thanks to government support aimed at ensuring access to wraparound care is available to all primary school-aged children by September 2026, more parents are discovering how this valuable provision can play a big part in relieving before and after-school stress.

Wraparound care is essentially a service that means children can be dropped off to school earlier, and collected later, allowing working parents greater flexibility to work the hours they want. Not only does it help to make mornings and evenings smoother, it also brings a wealth of child development benefits to the child in terms of creating social opportunities, providing homework support and ensuring each child gets active.

It might be a stretch to say that being able to drop your child at school in your own time counts as self-care, but it certainly helps. Knowing that your child is being cared for in a safe environment while you get to work (or get home from work) without having to rush is invaluable to many parents.

Wraparound care in the morning

Usually starting at around 7.30am at your child’s school, children can attend breakfast clubs before school and enjoy a nutritious breakfast to make sure they are fully prepared for the day ahead. A range of enriching activities are on offer to suit all ages and interests, from crafts and board games, to sport and physical activity.

For working parents, this allows mornings to feel smoother and accommodate their busy schedules. For children, they can enjoy a ‘soft start’ to the school day under the supervision of experienced and engaged playworkers.

Wraparound care after school

Similarly, it can be a challenge organising work hours or schedules to get to the school gate by 3.15pm, so having the option of letting children stay for up to three hours longer at an after-school club enables you to work the hours you want to without having to rush off.

Kids get to enjoy some downtime in an informal environment where they are able to free play, socialise with peers, get involved in activities and get support for any homework tasks. If they have some excess energy to burn off, physical activities are on offer to make sure they go home ready for a good night’s sleep!

And don’t worry, a nutritious snack is always included to power children through until teatime.

Let Premier Education wraparound care ease the pressure

Ultimately, a big part of the parenting role – especially once children are at school – is about finding coping skills and ways to manage stress, because of the many demands being placed on us all at once. Week days are hectic, but by accessing provisions such as wraparound care, you can streamline your busy schedule while being confident that your child is being cared for in a safe, secure and fun environment.

Like the sound of wraparound care? See if your school offers Premier Education wraparound care and let us take the pressure off those stressful mornings and afternoons.