Jessica Ennis-Hill reveals exactly how she deals with chaotic school mornings

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has revealed her top parenting tips to help families tackle the dreaded “school run chaos”—and it turns out, even Olympic champions face their fair share of morning mayhem.

New research shows British parents face an average of 10 morning “battles” with their children every week, from getting sleepy youngsters out of bed to persuading them that a proper breakfast is better than a handful of sweets. Only half of these daily skirmishes are won, according to a poll of 1,200 parents of children aged four to 17.

The toughest challenges include bedtime stand-offs, messy-room meltdowns, and the classic TV-versus-homework debate. Convincing children to brush their teeth and wear a coat in cold weather also top the list of struggles.

Despite starting the school year with the best intentions, more than half of parents (53%) admit that the morning chaos has quickly returned since classes resumed. Six in ten say the first term is the hardest to manage.

To help parents regain control, Weetabix has teamed up with mum-of-two Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill to share her gold-medal strategies for calmer mornings.

“My career taught me so much about the importance of structure and discipline and it’s still such an important part of how I live my life,” she said.“I’m a firm believer that with the right preparation and organisation, you can balance busy lives and conflicting schedules without sacrifices and want to instil this in my kids too.”

Jessica’s own family routine includes no devices at the breakfast table and encouraging her children to prepare for school the night before by laying out uniforms and gym kits. “Laying out their uniforms and gym kit gives them autonomy and makes them feel more responsible. Breakfast sets you up both physically and mentally.

“This doesn’t just apply to the school run, but to any morning routine, be it going to work or going to a gym class.”

Jessica recently visited Nether Edge Primary School in Sheffield, where pupils took part in an obstacle course designed to set them up for success. Their teacher, Mrs Gilpin, said: “She’s a Sheffield star, which means our children can see themselves reflected in her. And it inspires them to be the best they can be and shows them that everything is possible.”

The research, carried out by OnePoll, also found that 36% of mums and dads consider mornings tougher to navigate than bedtimes, with over half saying the main reason is simply needing to get out on time. Unsurprisingly, 69% of parents would appreciate guidance on how to bring more structure to their morning routine.

Christian Sarginson, spokesperson for Weetabix, said: “The structure of term-time can feel overwhelming for parents – especially when they are juggling multiple children, schedules, and responsibilities – often before they’ve even had their first sip of tea.

“These are challenges every parent knows only too well, and that’s why we wanted to explore what’s really going on in UK households.”

She added: “Our research found that nearly 70 per cent of parents would benefit from advice or tips to help create a calmer, more structured morning routine and so we hope that Jessica’s advice can help this.”

Speaking about bringing Dame Jessica Ennis Hill, Sir Mo Farah, Leah Williamson and Ade Adepitan together to share their stories of success and help others achieve their goals, he added: “Whether that’s managing the morning better, or nailing a new promotion, the all-stars are here to empower Brits to do so, no matter how big or small.

“We believe a good day starts with a good breakfast – and a bit of structure can go a long way in helping families feel more in control.”