Parents will resort to hiding in the bathroom to get a ‘parenting break’

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TWO IN FIVE PARENTS HIDE IN THE BATHROOM TO ESCAPE THEIR KIDS.

IF THAT’S NOT AN OPTION, THEY PRETEND TO BE ASLEEP (34%), CALL IN A PARENT OF THEIR OWN (59%) OR A GRANDPARENT (53%).

THAT MAY BE BECAUSE A RECENT SURVEY CONDUCTED BY ONEPOLL ON BEHALF OF FAMILY DOLLAR FOUND ONLY 14% OF PARENTS GET ENOUGH BREAKS EVERY DAY.

DESPITE THAT, A THIRD (34%) OF PARENTS WOULD GIVE THEMSELVES AN “A” FOR PARENTING AND FORTY-FOUR PERCENT SAY HAVING A SPECIFIC ITEM ON HAND HAS COME IN HANDY IN AN UNEXPECTED SITUATION.

THE STUDY, WHICH INCLUDED 2,000 PARENTS WITH SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN (AGES 5–18) , FOUND THE AVERAGE PARENT SPENDS 177 HOURS A YEAR SHOPPING IN PERSON FOR THE PRODUCTS IN THEIR “LIFESAVER” STASH.

PARENTS’ MUST-HAVES

• Snacks - 57%
• Toys - 56%
• Wet wipes - 55%
• Arts and crafts supplies (paper, crayons, pencils, etc.) - 55%
• Blanket - 52%
• Towel - 50%
• Games - 43%
• Books - 42%
• Smartphone/tablet - 37%
• Coffee - 32%
• Vacuum cleaner - 29%
• A babysitter - 28%
• Storage bins - 28%
• Backpack or tote bag - 27%
• Slippers - 27%
• Smart devices (e.g., speakers, thermostats, etc.) - 27%
• Planner - 26%
• Thermos - 24%
• Pressure cooker/slow cooker - 24%
• Headphones - 20%
• Handheld/body massager - 11%

Parents run out of must-have items for taking care of their child 4.5x a month x 12 = 54 times a year

3.4 hours a week shopping in person for must-have items x 52 weeks in a year = 176.8 hours a year

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 U.S. parents of school-age children (ages 5–18) was commissioned by Family Dollar between Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).