Getting kids to bed, meal times and doing the weekly food shop are among the top 20 stress triggers for mums and dads. 

A study of 2,000 parents found their daily worries include bath time, getting homework finished and keeping screen time to a minimum. 

Also featuring on the list was knowing the right foods to feed your kids and those daily bookends – getting out the door on time and getting home from work in time to wish them goodnight. 

Surveyed on their stress, parents said they found themselves feeling the pressure at least six times a day and that children became their most demanding at the age of five.

The research conducted by BPme, an app which allows customers to pay for their fuel without leaving their car, also revealed the naughty antics kids get up to when parents turn their back briefly, including sneaking sweets, putting on make-up and wearing pants on their head.

We all know kids who draw on the walls, but the survey found they also get crayon-happy on the carpet, their friends and even the pet dog.

A quarter of children have eaten chocolate and ended up with more of it on their face than in their tummy, and if not chocolate, they’re covering themselves in paint when mum or dad look away. Other children have climbed into unusual spaces including the dog’s bed, the dishwasher or a laundry basket.

Because, why not? 

The survey found that three-quarters spend longer doing simple tasks than before they became parents. Getting out the front door takes an additional 12 minutes every time, with kids adding 14 minutes on to the food shop and 11 extra minutes just to get dressed in the morning.

Having breakfast together adds a further 12 minutes with the hustle and bustle of children, with walking to the local shop taking a further 11 minutes.

Ah kids, you’ve gotta love them. 

Top 20 parental stress triggers:

1. When they get poorly

2. Getting them into bed

3. Getting them to eat certain foods

4. Getting them to stop playing on screens such as phones or watching TV

5. Getting them to tidy their rooms

6. Getting them to clean their teeth

7. Meal times

8. Getting them ready in the mornings

9. Getting them to school on time

10. Getting them dressed for school

11. Doing the weekly shop

12. Making sure they’ve done their homework

13. Remembering important school dates

14. Getting them to eat anything at all

15. Bath time

16. Keeping an eye on the sugar content of foods

17. Getting them out of bed

18. Shopping for new clothes/shoes

19. Remembering homework deadlines

20. Getting them to put their shoes on in the morning.

Top 10 things kids get up to when parents backs are turned:

1. Broken something

2. Argued with a sibling

3. Drawn on the walls

4. Worn their parents’ shoes

5. Unrolled the toilet roll everywhere

6. Eaten chocolate – and covered themselves in it

7. Taken all their clothes off

8. Put things in shoes

9. Squeezed a bottle of something to make a mess

10. Hidden cars, keys, wallet or the TV remote.