Singapore mums do lion's share of work in the mornings at home

SINGAPORE - Mums in Singapore are the busiest in the mornings, with an average of 17 tasks on their to-do list from the moment they wake up to the time they are done with breakfast and with getting the family out the door.

These are the findings from the National Breakfast Day Study conducted by McDonald's Singapore.

The study into the breakfast habits and morning routines of parents in Singapore also found that one-third of Singapore parents multitask in the morning, but mums do the lion's share of getting the family ready for the day.

Apart from getting themselves ready for the day ahead, chief among mums' tasks were making the bed, getting breakfast ready for the family, making sure the family gets to come home to a good meal, and getting the kids ready for school.

The survey also found that:

- Mums have an average of 17 tasks and activities that need to be done in the morning. Dads, on the other hand, have an average of 8 things on their morning to-do lists.

- 83 per cent of mums have kids-related activities on their to-do list, such as getting the children out of bed and making sure they remember to bring their water bottles to school. Among dads, the proportion is lower at 43 per cent.

- One-third of Singapore parents multitask during breakfast: Common activities while having breakfast include talking to family, checking emails, or catching up on the morning news.

- More than half of parents (55 per cent) wished they had more time for breakfast.

- 8 per cent of parents say they skip breakfast, and the most cited reason for doing so is lack of time.

No excuse to skip breakfast

But being busy is no reason not to have breakfast, with McDonald's Grab & Go breakfast deals.

For just $3, you can choose from three sets - Sausage McMuffin; Egg and Cheese McMuffin; or Sunrise Roll Chicken Ham, with a choice of hot coffee or tea.

In fact, McDonald's understands no one should sacrifice the most important meal of the day.