New research from Pod finds ‘back to school’ the most stressful time of year for UK parents

As the kids head back to school, forgotten lunchboxes (51%), getting home to realise you still have your child’s schoolbag (40%) and spills down clean uniforms (40%) are revealed as the top mishaps parents have to deal with on the school run.

Polling 2,000 parents with school age children, our new research reveals that 57% have forgotten something important on the first day back to school. For almost a third (31%) this was ensuring the car was filled up with charge or fuel.

In fact, 63% of parents reveal that the first day back to school is the most stressful day of the year. This feeling doesn’t subside, as over seven in ten (72%) say the school run is the most stressful part of any school day.

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Recognising the pressure on parents at this busy time, we‘ve teamed up with parenting psychologist Laverne Antrobus to share handy hacks to make the school run smoother.

Laverne Antrobus said: “The school run isn’t just a drive — it’s a mentally challenging obstacle course; juggling uniforms, breakfast, packed lunches, permission slips, and a thousand tiny details that are all urgent at once, including getting yourself ready. However, introducing a few simple changes can help get things in order. These are my favourites:”

• Uniform Grab – make sure to hang their whole uniform on one hanger the night before for a one stop grab-and-go in the morning
• The Final Countdown – create a playlist that starts 10 mins before leaving so the kids know the clock is ticking
• Create weekly lunch menus – prep packed lunches with a weekly planner and five favourites on rotation
• Emergency car kit – keep a box with hair bush and ties, wetwipes, water bottle and snacks for those forgetful moments

And a bonus tip for families with an EV...

• Home EV charging – opt for a subscription that takes care of EV charging for you, making sure you’re always ready for the school run and no more emergency detours to a service station or public charger that make you (even more) late!

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Pod CEO Melanie Lane added: “As a mum of three, I know first-hand that busy families already have enough on their plate, especially during the chaos of getting kids back to school. That’s why Pod is here to help and make the school run one less thing to worry about.

“For those with an EV or thinking about making the switch, our Pod Drive subscription offers total peace of mind - because not only will you wake up with a full charge ready to go, you’ll also know it’s covered by one simple monthly fee for all your charging needs.”

These hacks could go some way to help the 78% of parents of school age children who say they are looking for ways to be more organised. Being prepared for the school run would mean increased peace of mind (52%) and getting a few minutes of time back (32%) for the busy parents questioned.

Pod Drive, our industry-first home EV charging subscription, slashes the up-front costs of installing a Pod Point Solo 3S charger from £1,149 to £99*. It also rewards customers with over £170 cashback on a years’ worth of driving if they smart charge their EV with Pod**.

EV drivers can save further by opting for a dedicated tariff such as EDF’s GoElectric – the cheapest fixed EV tariff available, giving significant savings vs. petrol or diesel.***

The £40 monthly subscription to Pod Drive**** also includes a 48-hour repair or replace service with 24/7 customer support: providing reliable and worry-free EV charging for busy households.

For more information go to podenergy.com

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*With Pod Drive customers get a 7kW Solo 3S tethered unit (£1,049) as well as a surge protection device included (additional £100 cost to add this upfront). 

**How “smart-charging” works:

• Customers plug in normally at home, allowing Pod to “smart charge” their vehicles to meet a target charge level by a specified time, e.g. 100% by 7am. 
• Customers pay their energy bill as usual with their chosen energy provider, as well as their Pod Drive subscription. 
• Pod then provides cashback to customers to cover “smart-charged” miles at a rate of 2.3p per mile, rewarding drivers with as much as 7,500 miles per year, worth over £170. 

***Savings from diesel vs. electric with GoElectric are: £937 - Based on 7,500 miles. £937 savings based on charging with GoElectric Overnight costing £193 compared to petrol costing £1,130. Assumed EV efficiency of 3.5miles per kWh and assumes all charging at home at 8.99p/kWh (the national average overnight rate for GoElectric Overnight), between 12-5am. Average diesel car efficiency of 43 mpg from https://www.cinch.co.uk/guides/ask-the-experts/what-is-a-good-mpg and diesel price of 142.56p/litre taken from https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/fuel-watch/ on 26 August 2025.

****Pod Point Limited (222 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8HB) T/A Pod Drive is an appointed representative of Product Partnerships Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 626349). Pod Point Limited conducts consumer hire activities in respect of its Pod Drive Service. Finance subject to status, terms and conditions apply. Full Pod Drive T&Cs: https://podenergy.com/legal/pod-drive-terms-and-conditions-hire