By CIOReview | Tuesday, August 27, 2024

New York, NY - 5WPR, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the U.S., has released new insights into the overwhelming nature of the back-to-school season for parents across the country, taking a closer look at how financial costs, routine changes, and social pressures are top concerns for parents.

Most parents (66%) report finding this time of year to be one of the most stressful seasons. Financial costs emerge as the top stressor, with nearly half of parents (49.5%) citing expenses associated with sending their children back to school as the primary source of their anxiety. Changes in parents’ daily routines (43%) and social pressures for their children (30%) also ranked highly.

“Back-to-school season is marketed as a time of excitement and growth, but many parents find themselves silently fighting significant pressure and stress,” said 5WPR North America CEO, Matt Caiola. “As an agency working alongside companies geared towards parenting and mental health, we wanted to highlight the need for greater awareness while identifying the areas parents are finding the most challenging.”

More than three in four parents surveyed reported that they expect the back-to-school season to significantly impact their daily lives. Ways they anticipate being affected include changes to their daily schedules, added responsibilities such as managing school-related tasks, tighter budgets, and scheduling difficulties. Younger parents, between the ages 18-24 years old, are the most likely to report feeling impacted.

“These findings underscore the importance of offering support to parents as they navigate sending their children back to school,” adds Caiola. “Understanding these stressors can help us develop strategies alongside our clients to ease the burden on parents and allow them to better support their own children in the process. Parents are already finding strategies that work for them to help manage stress, but we can improve upon what’s already in place when we know where to put in the work.”

The top strategies parents identified they use to manage stress during the back-to-school season include planning and organizing in advance (64%), prioritizing tasks and activities (62%) and setting a budget (47%).

This research was conducted by the independent market research consultancy, Censuswide. 1,010 parents with children enrolled for the next school year in the US were surveyed online between 01.08.2023 – 05.08.2023. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is a member of the British Polling Council (BPC).