BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Every new school year presents new opportunities. With high hopes, parents aim to do things differently.  Then reality kicks in. That’s why Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain, surveyed over 2,000 moms and dads about their morning routines and school year resolutions to find out what the back-to-school morning hustle is really like. The results were surprising:

• 84% of parents make resolutions for the academic year ahead.
• 63% of parents break those resolutions, citing lack of energy to keep up.
• The biggest challenge parents face in the morning? Getting kids out the door on time.
• Many parents do personal grooming on their way to work because of lack of time in the morning. 43% of women put on their makeup during the morning commute and 52% of men shave!
• Parents need to remind their kids at least twice in the morning to get dressed, brush their teeth, or put on their shoes.
• By the end of the school year, parents will have asked their kids to hurry up almost 540 times.
• In an average school week, kids spill on their clothes twice while getting ready for the day ahead.
• More than half of parents resort to bribing their children to keep resolutions on track, offering time with electronics (39%), a new toy or game (38%), or extra time watching TV (33%) as a reward.
• On average, parents skip around two breakfasts a week because their children make them late, even though 8 in 10 parents think breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

“We wanted to shed light on what real mornings are like for parents before their kids go off to school,” said Jeremy Harper, vice president of marketing, U.S. Snacks, at Kellogg. “As a dad myself, mornings are far from perfect. We want parents to understand it’s OK if their resolutions fall by the wayside. Nutri-Grain can help with those crazy, time-compressed mornings and give you the energy to handle unexpected challenges.”

Nutri-Grain also partnered with social media personalities Cat & Nat, known for their #Momtruths, to bring these real morning experiences to life. With seven kids between the two of them, Cat & Nat share everything moms think, but are too afraid to talk about. They take on parenthood with honesty and humor and know that sometimes the only way to make it through the morning when the kids are screaming and the dog needs to be walked is with an on-the-go breakfast bar.

Made with eight grams of whole grains and eight essential vitamins and minerals, Nutri-Grain is a satisfying and efficient source of morning energy. Nutri-Grain takes one item off of parents’ plates so they no longer have to skip breakfast – instead they can grab a portable Nutri-Grain bar with a soft-baked crust and sweet filling made with real fruit to give them the energy to deal with life’s unpredictable morning moments.

What does your #realmorning look like? Share your back-to-school morning mishaps and triumphs on social and boost your energy for the year ahead with Nutri-Grain.