During sweltering summer holidays, nearly 70% of elementary school families report increased 'work-life balance stress'

SHIFT Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Daisuke Tango; Prime Market: 3697; hereinafter “SHIFT”), which supports customers in developing successful software services and products, has conducted a survey titled 'Reality Check on the Trade-off Between Work and Childcare During Summer Vacation' targeting parents with children. The survey aims to organize and visualize issues that cannot be easily resolved through household-level adjustments, and to consider how companies can better engage. The analysis focuses on responses from parents of elementary school children, examining the realities and perceptions of balancing work and parenting during the summer vacation under extreme heat.

Lunch preparation and reduced outdoor play concentrate burdens—SHIFT's survey visualizes the struggles of elementary school families

Survey Overview

- Survey name: Reality Check on the Trade-off Between Work and Childcare During Summer Vacation - Method: Online questionnaire - Period: May 11–31, 2026 - Target: Parents with children (n=495; including n=272 parents of elementary school children)

Key Findings

- 68% of parents with elementary school children reported feeling stronger stress during summer vacation compared to regular periods. - 85% of parents with elementary school children said they sometimes feel they are not enabling their children to spend their summer vacation meaningfully enough. - Top summer-related challenges for these parents included: burden of lunch preparation (61%), reduced outdoor play due to heat (45%), burdens related to commuting and bento preparation for after-school programs (36%), and securing play spaces (25%). - Among all respondents, measures taken to balance work and childcare included taking paid leave (81%) and reducing office attendance or switching to remote work (63%). Additionally, 23% reported declining work opportunities, and 27% reported changing jobs. - 61% of all respondents said their work has contributed to positive experiences for their children, and 85% said they see value in children learning about their parents’ workplaces.

Extreme Heat Deepens the 'Work-Life Conflict'

When asked how much more stress they feel balancing work and childcare during summer vacation compared to school terms, 68% of parents with elementary school children answered that they feel stronger stress during summer.

Regarding whether they feel they are not fully enabling their children to have meaningful experiences during summer vacation, 85% responded that they sometimes feel this way. Open-ended responses included: 'Is doing the same thing every day okay?', 'I want to give my child more travel and extraordinary experiences, but I can’t because of work', and 'I feel I’m not giving my child enough joyful time'.

Top household challenges during summer vacation included 'burden of lunch preparation' (61%), 'reduced outdoor play due to heat' (45%), and 'burdens related to commuting and bento preparation for after-school programs' (36%). 'Securing play spaces' (25%) also ranked high, indicating that recent extreme heat is limiting outdoor play and increasing burdens related to children’s activities and whereabouts.

Individuals Seeking Solutions for Work-Life Balance

In addition to summer-specific situations, the survey also explored broader work-life balance challenges. When asked about experiences related to parenting, parents reported taking paid leave (81%) and reducing office attendance or switching to remote work (63%). Additionally, 23% reported declining work opportunities, while 27% reported changing jobs and 7% reported leaving their jobs.

These difficulties in balancing parenting and work are often managed through household or individual efforts. When asked about episodes that made them feel 'lighter' or ideas that would make balance easier, many respondents mentioned: 'Having summer vacation would help', and 'Being able to work half-days remotely would make it manageable'.

Value of 'Children Learning About Parents’ Workplaces'

While the survey highlighted parental burdens and conflicts in balancing work and parenting, it also revealed positive trends. When asked if their work has ever led to positive experiences for their children, 61% of respondents answered affirmatively. Furthermore, when asked if they see value in children visiting their parents’ workplaces and seeing them work, 85% responded that they do.

Analysis

Summer vacation is a special period for elementary school children, offering freedom in how they spend their time. As such, parents increasingly reflect on 'how well they are enabling their children to spend this time', while work continues at the same pace as during school terms. This conflict tends to surface during summer, when routines change. Moreover, with recent extreme heat limiting outdoor play, the burden of balancing work and parenting during summer has become increasingly complex.

In this context, many parents are actively seeking ways to balance work and parenting—not only during summer but year-round—through measures like taking paid leave or adjusting remote work. This highlights how much the burden of balance still depends on individual efforts.

SHIFT Group Initiative: 'Shiftmo Kids Summer School'

The SHIFT Group’s annual 'Shiftmo Kids Summer School*' is not about choosing between securing work time and providing rich experiences for children. Instead, it represents a proactive corporate effort to transform work-life balance into a positive experience. For children, it also offers opportunities to interact with working adults, including employees involved in organizing and teaching.

Parents who participated shared feedback such as: 'My trust in the company has increased, and I’m glad I work at SHIFT', 'This summer school is an irreplaceable experience that makes me feel truly fortunate to work here', 'My child happily tells others, “Dad’s company is like this!”, making me proud to work at SHIFT', and 'My child told me, “Mom, you can’t quit SHIFT because I want to attend the summer school!”'.

To turn summer vacation—a time when work and parenting often feel like a trade-off—into a positive memory for both parents and children, SHIFT will once again implement the 'Shiftmo Kids Summer School' this year.

*Shiftmo Kids Summer School: A program launched by SHIFT in 2021 for children of its employees during summer vacation. Typically, it offers around 30 experiential courses over approximately two weeks, providing experiences not typically available in school.