NYWORRY by Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
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Do your little ones keep you up at night? Parents spend an incredible 37 hours a week worrying about their children, according to new research.
A study examining the extent to which parents worry about their children and the specific things driving concern found the average parent spends five hours and 18 minutes a day worrying about their kids.
With this type of worrying comes many a sleepless night and 59 percent of parents admit that sometimes the worry is so great it leads to a loss of sleep.
So what types of things are keeping parents up at night? Obviously a child’s safety and happiness lead the way, while worry over whether or not their children are getting bullied ranked as the top three.
The study looking into the parental worries of 2,000 parents conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Lice Clinics of America uncovered the true amount of worry that comes with being a parent.
When parents send their kids off to school, they are concerned about how well their child will be able to fit in with others (number six), how easily they’ll be able to make friends (number nine), and whether or not they are getting good grades (number five).
While it’s not surprising that parents are most concerned about their child’s overall well-being, they are specifically concerned about their child’s physical health (95 percent).
And some ailments are more of a potential worry than others, for over a quarter of parents (27 percent), having their kids come home from school with lice was a top concern.
In fact, dealing with lice ranked as the number three most difficult thing for parents to manage when it comes to their children. Lice also ranked high on the list of hardest things for parents to deal with – just behind a broken or sprained limb and a broken heart.
Other challenges for parents to navigate included strep throat (number 6), an allergic reaction (number 7), and broken glasses (number 10).
Dr. Krista Lauer, Medical Director of Lice Clinics of America stated “Parents are concerned about their kids coming home from school with a myriad of things and are looking for easy and convenient solutions to help them with some of the hardest to deal with issues- like lice.”
Back to school is a time when parental worry increases. In fact, 71 percent of parents admitted that their worrying intensifies when their child starts their first day of classes.
From getting bullied (47 percent) to doing poorly in school (33 percent), to coming home with lice (25 percent), parents are fearful of their child’s safety in a myriad of ways.
With all the stress, worry, and fear associated with being a parent, 54 percent reveal that being a parent is harder than they thought it’d be.
In fact, nearly half (48 percent) have felt judged by other parents – with 52 percent of parents feeling judged by other moms and dads when their kid comes home with lice.
This parental judgment leaves three in 10 parents worried about what other parents think about their parenting style.
“We understand that there are so many concerns parents have when it comes to their kids.
Dealing with head lice is scary and intimidating, but Lice Clinics of America is here to help. We want to separate the myths from the facts when it comes to contracting head lice.
Almost all head lice infestations happen from direct head-to-head contact, which gives lice the opportunity to transfer from one head to another. Head lice cannot jump, swim or fly.
Having head lice does not indicate poor hygiene, and it’s next to impossible to get head lice by sharing hats, which many parents believe. While prevention is key, if kids get head lice, Lice Clinics of America has options for treatment, all of which are pesticide and toxin free, safe and fast.” added Dr. Lauer.
TOP 10 BACK TO SCHOOL PARENTAL WORRIES
That children are safe 48%
Whether children are happy 44%
Whether children will be bullied 43%
If children are keeping up in class 41%
Getting good grades 39%
How well children will fit in with others 36%
Whether children are eating okay 30%
That children are enjoying their childhood 28%
How easily children will be able to make friends 27%
Coming home with lice 27%
TOP 10 PARENTING NIGHTMARES
Kid coming home with broken/sprained limb 41%
Kid coming home with a broken heart 40%
Kid coming home with lice 36%
Kid coming home with chicken pox 33%
Kid coming home with a broken/sprained finger 31%
Kid coming home with strep throat 29%
Kid coming home with an allergic reaction 29%
Kid coming home with the flu/cold 27%
Kid coming home with pink eye 26%
Kid coming home with broken glasses 16%