How Long Does It Take to Leave the House with a Toddler?

Any parent or babysitter knows how stressful leaving the house can be. Even the most organised mum or dad can have a bag packed and leave plenty of time only for things to go a little (or a lot!) off-schedule, just as you’re trying to get out the door.

We wanted to know the big barriers to getting out of the house and what stresses parents out the most. We asked 2000 UK mothers with at least one child under five years old in the house about getting their little ones out the door. You might relate to the findings!

The headlines of our study showed that:

One in ten mums takes over three hours to leave the house, with under 5s
Around one in four mums (26 per cent) take over two hours to leave the house with their toddlers
The most common time bracket was up to two hours for two out of five parents (42%)
A fleet-footed six per cent manage to get out the door in less than 30 minutes.

What stops parents from leaving the house with a toddler?

Even as grown-ups, we can have hold-ups when trying to leave the house. Looking for keys or your phone can add a few minutes to getting out the door. Those were the rose-tinted days when it was just yourself you had to worry about, and you could leave with barely a moment’s notice. Enter a little person or two, and those obstacles suddenly become more frequent and often messier!

These are the biggest hold-ups we found in our survey.

A whopping 91% of the mothers we surveyed say they have had to deal with tantrums from their little ones when trying to leave the house. Ah, the joys of parenthood!
Getting the nappy bag ready was the following most common hold-up mums mentioned in the survey, with over half (54%) saying this
The third most common obstacle was the messiest one, a dreaded nappy explosion. Most of us have had to deal with a ‘poo-nami’ at some point, and it seems 42% of mums say this has happened just as they are trying to leave the house.

The juggle of trying to get out of the door has caused parents like you to leave the house without eating or brushing your hair or your teeth.

In fact, over 65% of mums we surveyed said it was less stressful getting painful dental surgery or dealing with an unexpected call from your boss!

Whilst this is a light-hearted take on our survey findings, we wanted to highlight some of the everyday challenges parents face. Getting out of the house is essential for parental well-being.

Why New Parents Need to Leave the House

It can be incredibly isolating when you become a parent, especially for the first time. Leaving the house is vital for your child’s development and socialisation and your own sanity. The parents in our survey agreed. These are some key stats:

A massive 88% of mums think that getting out of the house to visit children’s activity classes is important for their child’s development.
81% think that getting out with their baby, toddler or preschool child helps them meet like-minded parents, which helps improve their mental health.
Over half of the mums surveyed (56%) said that not leaving their homes has had a negative impact on their mental health.

How To Leave The House Quickly with Toddlers

We wish there were a magic wand to help parents leave the house without any drama, but sometimes, you can’t predict the chaos that ensues when you can’t find their favourite toy or they’ve decided to play hide and seek. That said, there are some things you can try.

No matter how tired you are, try to have your nappy bag and essentials ready well in advance of when you want to leave. Have clothes, shoes and backup outfits at the ready, too.

A bit of negotiation can help too. Whether you agree with the tactic, 50% of the mums we surveyed admitted to bribing their children with screen time to help them get out of the house. Sweet treats were the bartering tool for 35% of the mums who answered our questionnaire. However, just over half of the respondents said the negotiation doesn’t always succeed, and sometimes they cancel plans altogether.

Getting Out To Children’s Classes

Despite the challenges, getting out to baby, toddler and preschool classes is crucial for parents and children.

With a Little Starts Gift Card, you can access thousands of classes and activities across the UK from providers like Rugbytots, Waterbabies, babyballet, Puddle Ducks and more. For parents, you will immediately realise you’re in the same boat as other new families.

Search for your nearest class here.

The Full ‘Leaving the House with Children’ Survey Results.

How long does it take mums to leave the house?

Time	Percentage
Less than 1/2 hour	6 per cent
½ hour to 1 hour	14 per cent
1 hour to 1.5 hours	39 per cent
1.5 hours to 2 hours	16 per cent
2 hours to 2.5 hours	12 per cent
2.5 hours to 3 hours	9 per cent
3+ hours	5 per cent

Top things mums find less stressful than getting their child out of the house.

Activity	Percentage
Getting stuck in a lift for 30 mins	68 per cent
Visiting mother-in-law	66 per cent
When your boss calls an unexpected meeting	65 per cent
Having root canal surgery	63 per cent
Car breaking down	60 per cent
A work presentation	54 per cent
Moving house	50 per cent
Doing a tax return	41 per cent
Getting through an airport with kids	40 per cent
Having an argument with your partner	34 per cent

Top 5 obstacles to leaving the house

Obstacle	Percentage
Preparing the “nappy bag’	54 per cent
Housework Jobs	46 per cent
Nappy Explosion	42 per cent
Children not wanting to leave the house	59 per cent
Tantrums	32 per cent

Top 5 condition mums have left the house in to get out on time.

Condition	Percentage
No coat on	76 per cent
Not having brushed teeth	74 per cent
Wrong/odd shoes on	68 per cent
Not brushed hair	58 per cent
Haven’t eaten	46 per cent

*Survey based on 2,000 UK mothers with at least one child up to 5 years old who completed the survey online in January 2024, carried out with Smoking Gun PR Agency.