Meal times are trying times for moms

More than eight in ten of the parents questioned said this was because their child was a 'fussy eater'. Picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

More than eight in ten of the parents questioned said this was because their child was a 'fussy eater'. Picture: Siphiwe Sibeko

Published Jul 1, 2013

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London - The modern mother admits to reaching the end of her tether at least five times a day.

But if you take a look at what she is knocking out in the kitchen you might wonder why the figure isn’t even higher.

According to a report almost a quarter are having to cook up to nine meals a day to satisfy their family’s fussy eating habits.

One in 20 even claim they are making ten or more different dishes – the equivalent of some cafes and restaurants. That might account for the fact that 40 percent of them admit they pack their children off to a friend or relative’s house to be fed at least once a week.

The insight into the life of today’s matriarch is revealed in a poll of 1 000 mothers with children aged five and under.

It found ‘Stress O’ Clock’ particularly hits at 8:01am, 11:56am and 5:30pm. The top maddening situations for mothers were listed as:

÷The supermarket shop with tetchy, tired children in tow;

÷Juggling domestic tasks with entertaining the youngsters;

÷Morning mayhem with wake up calls, breakfast and getting out the door;

÷The daily feeding battleground to get children to eat a cooked meal;

÷Preparing a range of meals for family fuss pots.

Of the mothers polled, one in seven said they felt stressed ten times each day or more.

The report was unveiled to coincide with the publication of Annabel Karmel’s Quick & Easy Toddler Recipes book.

The parenting author said: “Mums are working harder than ever to keep their families on track, but this report highlights that they are experiencing unhealthy levels of stress which could, in turn, impact on their own wellbeing.”

The study found that mothers devote an average of three hours and 28 minutes to powering through a multitude of family tasks, often juggling work too. More than a third admitted skipping meals as they run out of time in the evening to eat. - Daily Mail

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