Is May the Worst Month of the Year to Be a Parent In Montana?

Is May the worst month of the year to be a parent? What's the hardest time of the year to be a parent?  Is it summer because your kids aren't in school?  Or maybe during the chaos of Christmas?

According to a new poll end-of-school stress start long before the school year is even over. They say that is starts around 28 days before the school year ends. One big factor is that you have to start making those summer plans.

It turns out the hardest time of the year for a lot of parents is actually right now! It is the LEAD-UP to summer.

35% said the end of the school year is harder on them than back-to-school season is and right around 40% said the same thing about school breaks during spring, summer, and fall.

Why is it so stressful now? It is partly thanks to all the big summer plans and events that have to be made.  Sports, summer camps, and summer vacation and more!

It is said that the average parent starts feeling the end-of-school stress 28 days before the school year ends.  So, most parents are in it, or are about to be in it.

Here's a breakdown of the average week for a parent this time of year:

22% of it is spent working

14% sleeping

13% eating or preparing meals

10% shuttling your kids around town

9% making summer plans

and that leaves just 8% to take time for yourself.

It doesn't get much easier in June or July either.  Summertime is the best for the kiddos but not so much for the parents.  33% of the parents polled said they probably won't have one single stress-free day during the whole summer.