Olympian Jessica Ennis-Hill shares gold-medal tips for stress-free school mornings

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hillhas shared her parenting tips for managing 'school run chaos'. It turns out parents face an average of 10 morning “battles” with their children each week—and only manage to win about half of them, according to new research.

A poll of 1,200 parents with children aged four to 17 found thatthe toughest challenges include bedtime stand-offs, messy-room meltdowns, and the daily struggle to get sleepy kids out of bed. Other frequent sources of conflict are the classic TV-versus-homework debate, convincing children to brush their teeth, and persuading them that a proper breakfast is better than a handful of sweets.

Despite starting the school year with the best intentions, more than half of parents (53%) admit that the morning chaos has quickly returned since classes resumed, with 60% saying the first term is the hardest to manage.

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To help parents power through the madness, Weetabix which commissioned the research, has teamed up with mum-of-two Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill to share her top tips for finding calm amidst the chaos.

She said: “My career taught me so much about the importance of structure and discipline and it’s still such an important part of how I live my life.

“I’m a firm believer that with the right preparation and organisation, you can balance busy lives and conflicting schedules without sacrifices and I want to instil this in my kids too."

Talking about her own family routine, she said: “We have no devices at the breakfast table, and now they are a bit older I encourage them to prep for school the night before – laying out their uniforms and gym kit gives them autonomy and makes them feel more responsible.

“Breakfast sets you up both physically and mentally. This doesn’t just apply to the school run, but to any morning routine, be it going to work or going to a gym class.”

Jessica made a visit to pupils at Nether Edge Primary School in Sheffield where they kids took part in an obstacle course designed to set them up for success.

Their year 5 class teacher, Mrs Gilpin, said: “[Jessica] is a Sheffield star, which means our children can see themselves reflected in her. And it inspires them to be the best they can be and shows them that everything is possible.”

Further parenting struggles uncovered in the research carried out through OnePoll included convincing their kids to wear a coat during cold weather, getting them to brush their teeth without any tantrums, and preventing sweets from “ruining dinner.”

The findings also showed 36% of mums and dads consider mornings tougher to navigate than bedtimes.

Over half said the main reason for this is because they need to get out on time. It's no shocker then that 69% of parents would appreciate guidance on how to introduce more structure to their morning routine.

Christian Sarginson, spokesperson for Weetabix, said: “The structure of term-time can feel overwhelming for parents – especially when they are juggling multiple children, schedules, and responsibilities – often before they’ve even had their first sip of tea.

“These are challenges every parent knows only too well, and that’s why we wanted to explore what’s really going on in UK households.

“Our research found that nearly 70 per cent of parents would benefit from advice or tips to help create a calmer, more structured morning routine and so we hope that Jessica’s advice can help this."

Speaking about bringing Dame Jessica Ennis Hill, Sir Mo Farah, Leah Williamson and Ade Adepitan together to share their stories of success and help others achieve their goals, he added: "Whether that’s managing the morning better, or nailing a new promotion, the all-stars are here to empower Brits to do so, no matter how big or small.

"We believe a good day starts with a good breakfast – and a bit of structure can go a long way in helping families feel more in control."

TOP 20 CHALLENGES FOR PARENTS:

Getting them to sleep at a reasonable hour

Encouraging them to tidy their room

Rousing them from bed in the morning

Persuading them to complete their homework

Getting them to switch off the telly or tablet

Ensuring they clean their teeth properly

Making sure they leave the house punctually

Hustling them out of the door in time for school

Encouraging them to eat their breakfast

Preventing them from insisting it's "not bedtime yet" because it's still light outside

Getting them to don their coat when it's chilly

Brushing their hair without any fuss

Encouraging them to consume fruit and vegetables

Getting them to wear their uniform

Encouraging them to read their school book

Ensuring they have a healthy, balanced breakfast

Preventing them from spoiling their dinner with sweets/snacks

Teaching them to say please and thank you

Preventing them from arguing about what's for dinner

Stopping them from repeatedly asking "why"