NEW research reveals a third of today’s working British mums feel they would have to give up work if it wasn’t for the support of school breakfast clubs.

Describing the mornings as ‘tiring’ and ‘stressful,’ just a fifth of working mums and dads claimed they found time to enjoy breakfast with their children, with nearly 60 per cent ranking breakfast clubs as ‘very important’ for their families survival and routine.

The Kellogg’s study, ‘The Parent’s Lifeline’, looked into the role school breakfast clubs play in the lives of working families, and showed how stretched families are also relying on breakfast clubs to provide adequate childcare.

More than a quarter (27 per cent) of parents feel the absence of a breakfast club would mean at least one parent would be forced out of work, however it is mums who will bear the burden (33 per cent).

Interestingly one in five recognised the cost for alternative morning childcare would mean they would have to tighten their purse strings, with nearly 20 per cent of parents claiming they save more than £50 every week by sending their children to breakfast clubs.

Other interesting findings in the survey of 2,003 working parents were:-

  • It wasn’t just ‘squeezed’ families who rely on the clubs. A quarter of top level professionals admitted they needed breakfast clubs to help juggle childcare.
  • The study showed how the fast-paced modern dynamic leaves more than half failing to provide their children with a week day breakfast.
  • Fathers are still relying on mum to organise the kids in the mornings (29 per cent) despite both parents going out to work, with double the amount of mums left ‘stressed’ when attempting to organise breakfast at home.
  • Many parents admitted they offered their children bribes to get them out the door on time – with 20 per cent handing out the biscuits and 17 per cent opting for chocolate and sweets instead of breakfast.
  • 20 per cent of parents in Greater Manchester said they relied on breakfast clubs for childcare and quarter of those surveyed across the north west said they allowed them to get to work on time.
  • Across the north west 21 per cent save between £25.01-£50 on childcare through using breakfast clubs.
  • 25 per cent of parents in Greater Manchester said the main benefit of a breakfast club was they able to get to work early
  • The North West were the best in the country at getting their kids to school on time, with 75 per cent claiming their kids were never late because of breakfast clubs.
  • Nearly 10 per cent of parents in Greater Manchester admitted they never spend time having breakfast with their kids

Megan Jarvie from the Family and Childcare Trust said: “Breakfast clubs are about much more than just cereal and toast in the morning – our research shows that breakfast clubs can help children do better in school and beyond, can help parents commit to their job’s work hours and can provide working families with the support they need to manage a work-life balance in modern Britain.

“Too many families are struggling to access childcare that meets their needs, but extended schools services like breakfast clubs can help fill the gaps when there is not enough out of school childcare available. They help boost outcomes for children from all backgrounds and support parents to work.”

Kellogg’s has been supporting breakfast clubs in schools for 18 years providing funding, cereal donations and training to a network of 2,500 Breakfast Clubs across the UK.