A Third Of Parents 'Miss Bedtime Three Times A Week With Their Kids', Says Study
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Featured Image Credit: Indeed / Tick Tock Till Bedtime
For many parents, the most precious part of the day is bedtime, when you get to tuck in your kid and chat all about their day.
But for working parents, that's more like a dream than a reality - as many know, it's often impossible to get home from work in time to actually participate in the tucking-in.
A new study of 2,000 parents has found that almost a third (29 per cent) of British parents miss bedtime with their kids at least three out of five nights of the week due to working late.
Over a third (34 per cent) feel guilty for losing out on this quality time, while a third again find it difficult to explain to their kids why they can't be there.
Reportedly, 25 per cent of workers feel obliged to stay at work longer than is actually necessary.
This means that they miss out on bedtime rituals and precious time with their kids, leaving 72 per cent to rely on their partners or parents to read their kids a story.
Additionally, a huge 22 per cent have said goodnight to their kids over FaceTime when they can't actually be there in person.
Job search website Indeed has now partnered with children's author Giles Paley-Phillips to create a bedtime story that explains to little ones why their parents can't always be there with them at bedtime.
With a quarter of parents putting their lateness down to a "stay-late culture", it looks like a shift is needed in flexibility around working hours to allow parents to show up.
Paley-Phillips' book Tick Tock Till Bedtime explains the challenges faced by working parents in a way that makes it easier for kids to understand.
Bill Richards, UK Managing Director at Indeed, said that he wants to "open up conversations about re-calibrating work/life balance", which seems more important than ever considering these stats.