British parents spend nine weeks of their lives doing the school run, according to new research.
And over a third of mums and dads said dropping the kids off at school is the most stressful part of their day.
However the school-run faced by the Jones family from Pontrhydfendigaid, Wales, is believed to be the UK’s most extreme.
The family’s unpredictable journey can take anywhere from 25 minutes to two hours to complete – depending on weather conditions.
And dad, William Jones, is regularly found with his chainsaw clearing away felled trees that block the family’s path to school – while last year a broken down lorry blocked roads for TWO DAYS.
The research of 2,000 UK parents who do a daily school run – along with the nationwide search for the most severe school run – was commissioned by ŠKODA to launch its new SUV, the Kodiaq.
Mum, Sarah Jones, said: “Every day when we wake up we don’t know what we’re going to come up against on our school run, which is part of the fun of living up here really.
“We could take our horse Willow, but a 4×4 makes things so much easier.”
The most common problem faced by respondents during their daily commute is a build-up of traffic.
However hazards such as flooding are 18 per cent more common in areas such as the Scottish Highlands and Welsh Valleys when compared to the national average.
In the county of Sutherland, Northern Scotland, and in Ceredigion, Wales, one in 10 parents regularly have to stop to allow sheep and cattle past – almost twice as often than any other rural location.
The Joneses’ cottage, Cwommoiro, sits within its own micro-climate, meaning it can be snowing at home when it is raining at the children’s school.
Following a nationwide to find the family who face the toughest school-run, ŠKODA invited the Jones family to be the first people in the UK to put its new SUV, the Kodiaq, through its paces.
Prior to its arrival in Wales from the Czech Republic, the seven-seater vehicle had completed over a million miles of testing in extreme climates around the world.
The Joneses tried out the vehicles 4×4 functionality – driving through the valley using an off-road route which featured lots of mud and water crossings.
Sarah Jones said: “We were hugely impressed with the Kodiaq and our journey to school was the smoothest we’ve ever experienced.
“It tackled flooded areas and hills with ease and we enjoyed the headroom and nice little extras such as the heated seats.
“The seven seats would definitely come in handy for collecting our children’s school mates and when they’re not being used, we can pop our dogs in the back – the kids really want us to buy one now”
To view the Joneses’ ‘extreme school run’ story visit: YouTube SkodaUK
