No Time for the Bedtime Story: The Hidden Toll of Modern Family Life

A new study from family budgeting experts Park Christmas Savings has revealed a troubling trend: more than half of UK parents say they regularly skip bedtime stories or one-to-one chats with their children because they are simply too tired or stressed.

The survey of 4,500 UK adults paints a picture of family life stretched to breaking point. 61% of parents say they do not get enough quality time with loved ones, while two in three admit that the rising cost of living has eaten into their family time. Even simple pleasures such as family meals, trips to the park or reading together are being squeezed out by longer working hours and mounting financial pressure.

“It’s heartbreaking,” says Dr Pam Spurr, family psychologist and children’s author. “Those small, everyday rituals, a bedtime story or a few minutes of proper conversation, are where children feel most connected and secure. When stress and exhaustion take that away, it affects both children’s emotional wellbeing and parents’ confidence. The good news is that even five minutes of genuine connection can make a difference.”

The study also found that over half of parents can no longer afford basic leisure activities, and one in four have taken on extra work to cover rising costs. Unsurprisingly, a third of parents say that if they had an extra hour each day, they would use it just to sleep. Many admit they feel guilty for missing out on those precious bedtime moments.

But it is not all doom and gloom. There are glimmers of hope in how families are adapting. A remarkable nine in ten parents said that planning ahead financially, such as saving small amounts throughout the year, helps to ease stress and reclaim some of that lost time with loved ones.

“Parents are telling us they are running on empty,” says Katherine Scott, Director of Marketing at Park Christmas Savings. “When money is tight and workloads are heavy, it is those quiet, meaningful family moments that get squeezed out first. But those are the moments that really matter, the glue that holds families together.”

As winter nights draw in, it is a timely reminder that connection does not always need grand gestures. Sometimes it is about turning off the TV a few minutes earlier, putting down the phone, and finding space, however small, for a story before bed.

Because even in the busiest households, there is still room for “just one more page.”