The thing Irish parents hate most about back-to-school time might surprise you

It can feel like the busiest (and most expensive) time of the year.

You might have been looking forward to it all summer but each September we forget just how much bother back-to-school time actually is. Books and supplies to buy, uniforms to wash, lifts to organise, trying to get the kids back into something vaguely resembling a routine - it's endless, but surprisingly none of those qualify as what Irish parents hate the most about this time of year. It turns out that morning traffic on the roads is our number one pet peeve about going back to school, according to a new survey. That's followed by the expense of starting a new school year and getting a call from the school to say your little one has been in trouble, the research carried out for Lottoland showed.   "We’ve all probably moaned about school traffic over the years but it’s notable how strong the average man and woman feels about this particular downside from schools returning," Lottoland’s Irish Country Manager Graham Ross said. Meanwhile the Department of Social Protection has apologised to parents who are waiting on a Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. A delay in processing the payment has meant that some have had to wait longer to receive it this year.