Keeping on top of the school run, family routines and household chores could be taking a significant mental toll on British parents, with more than half (55%) of UK parents/guardians with children aged 5–11 saying they often feel mentally overwhelmed by managing household tasks. The finding, from new research conducted by YouGov for home services platform Wecasa, identifies the primary-school years as the period with the highest reported levels of household overwhelm across the UK child-age groups surveyed.
The pressures of family life extend beyond the school gates. Alongside the visible jobs of cleaning, tidying and keeping the house in order, parents must manage the ongoing planning and organisation that keeps a household running – from remembering what needs doing to coordinating everyday routines.
The mental load rises when children are in the household
The research suggests a clear association between having children in the household and frequently feeling overwhelmed by household responsibilities. Among UK adults with no children in the household, 29% say they often feel mentally overwhelmed by managing household tasks. This rises to 44% among households with one child and 47% among households with two children or three or more children.
The findings highlight how the demands of family life can add to the everyday responsibilities of running a home. For parents, the mental load may involve not only completing household tasks but also keeping track of what needs doing, when it needs doing and how it fits around the rest of family life.
Why the primary-school years stand out
The research provides a particularly striking snapshot of the pressures experienced by parents at different stages of their children’s lives. Almost half (47%) of parents/guardians with a child aged four or under say they often feel mentally overwhelmed by household tasks. Among parents/guardians with children aged 5–11, this rises to 55%, which is the highest figure across the UK child-age breakdown.
This creates an opportunity to look at the less visible work behind family life during the primary-school years, when household responsibilities must be managed alongside children’s routines, school commitments and activities.
The mental load hits women the hardest
The research reveals a gender difference in how frequently UK adults feel overwhelmed by managing household tasks. Four in ten UK women (40%) say they often feel mentally overwhelmed by household tasks, compared with one in four men (25%).
The research also suggests that asking for help can be an emotional hurdle. A third (33%) of UK adults say they feel guilty asking for help with household tasks, while almost a quarter (24%) say they never ask for help. Among women, 38% say they feel guilty asking for help, compared with 28% of men. Together, the findings point to a conversation that goes beyond the division of chores: the mental load can also involve feeling responsible for keeping everything on track and finding it difficult to hand some of that responsibility over.
Wecasa helps parents take one task off their list
With household responsibilities contributing to feelings of overwhelm for many UK adults, particularly parents of primary-school-aged children, Wecasa is encouraging families to consider where they can make everyday life a little easier. To help parents lighten the practical load, Wecasa is offering 20% off cleaning services in the UK with the code WECASA20*, giving households the opportunity to outsource some of the practical work that can contribute to the everyday mental load.
Pierre André, Co-founder of Wecasa, said: “The mental load of running a family home is about more than the chores we can see. It is also the planning, organising and remembering that happens in the background, often while parents are juggling work, school routines and family life. What really stands out in this research is that 55% of UK parents with children aged 5–11 say they often feel mentally overwhelmed by household tasks. It is a reminder that the work involved in keeping family life running can feel relentless, even when much of it goes unnoticed. We know that getting help with cleaning won’t remove every pressure that comes with parenting, but it can take one practical responsibility off the list. We want to make it easier for parents to reclaim a little time and headspace.”
By outsourcing a household task, parents can free up time that might otherwise be spent cleaning and tidying, making more room for family time, rest or simply taking a break from the to-do list.
Time to let go of the cleaning guilt
As conversations around wellbeing and work-life balance continue to evolve, Wecasa hopes it’s time to rethink how we view help at home. Rather than seeing cleaning support as an indulgence, the company believes it should simply be viewed as another practical way to free up time, reduce stress and help people enjoy their homes again. After all, if we no longer feel guilty about ordering dinner instead of cooking, perhaps it’s time we stopped feeling guilty about asking for a little help with the cleaning too.
Wecasa is your go-to online booking platform for mobile at-home cleaning, wellness, beauty and home services, available seven days a week. Visit www.wecasa.co.uk for further information and to book.