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Fancy dress parties more stressful than tantrums

New research out today reveals that nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of British parents feel stressed and stuck for ideas when asked to create face paint characters or make costumes for their children's school plays and parties.

In fact, the research conducted by Persil shows that over a third of British parents (39 per cent) cite costume making as the most difficult parenting skill to master, followed by dealing with temper tantrums (28 per cent), teaching children to tie their shoelaces (21 per cent), helping with homework (6 per cent) and reading bedtime stories (3 per cent).

The study showed that working parents find slaving over a hot sewing machine as stressful as battling with a power-point presentation for an important meeting.

Creating costumes and face painting even beat the dreaded school run and braving a packed supermarket with the kids in tow, which came in third and fourth place respectively.

According to the research, parents also feel pressure to perform for their children. Fifty-eight per cent admit they regularly worry that their kids won't like the costume they've created, while a third are envious of other mum's creative skills.

The study, commissioned by Persil as part of on-going research into the role of creativity in the family, also revealed that British parents go to great lengths to ensure children are proud of their creations.

One in five parents spend more than five hours making each costume and face paint and nearly two thirds admit they regularly stay up late to sew on that last sequin.

Leading parenting expert, Dr Pat Spungin, explains: "Doing make-up for school plays, making fancy dress costumes and helping kids with art projects are parenting skills which no-one teaches you, it's just something you are expected to pick up through trial and error.

"Parents don't want to let their children down, especially if it's for a public performance like a school play or nativity.

"The research shows clearly that most parents do take time and make an effort. Often all they need is some encouragement and a helping hand in the right direction."

The research also reveals four creative styles:

• Gold Star Mum: These lucky mums have natural creative flair! They have loads of original ideas and love using their artistic skills to make their kids stand out - they're regularly the envy of other parents. 27 per cent of British parents fall into this category. Celebrity mum: Linda Barker.
• Trend-spotting Mum: These mums are desperate for their kids to feel proud of their creations, so they go to great lengths to make sure they get noticed. They are often found scouring books and magazines for the very latest ideas. Only 8 per cent of British parents fall into this category. Celebrity mum: Davina McCall.
• Short-cut Mum: These mums are often short of time so costume making and face painting take a back seat. They don't have bags of natural creativity but tend to be very resourceful and will use old sheets, boxes and cast-off accessories to conjure up something imaginative. The majority of British parents fall into this category. Celebrity mum: Edina Monsoon (Ab Fab)
• Points for Effort Mum: These mums really do try hard but they aren't naturally creative. They invest time to try to do their kids proud, but no matter how hard they try their creations never quite come top of the class! 30 per cent of British parents fall into this category. Celebrity mum: Marge Simpson

When it comes to costume and face paint inspiration, most parents get their ideas from children's requests, books and TV programmes.

British children's favourite dressing up characters include Harry Potter, a Lion King character or a fairy

To help British parents hone their creative skills, Persil is running a series of workshops in Sainsburys stores across the UK throughout February. The workshops will be hosted by Britain's best face painting mums and dads, selected from a nationwide search, and are designed to teach other parents the tricks of the trade.

This training initiative is being run to support Persil's sponsorship of Comic Relief 2005.

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