Today (8 August) marks the summer holiday ‘breaking point’ for most parents, according to a new study.
A new survey of British parents has revealed exactly what mums and dads must contend with during the six to eight week summer holidays and suggests they’ll last only 17 days before feeling completely fed up. The study also claims one in five parents confess it’s the most stressful time of the year.
The survey, carried out by Drayton Manor Park, also revealed the key challenges parents face over the summer holidays. According to research, keeping the kids entertained is the biggest challenge at 48%, followed by youngsters saying they are bored the WHOLE time (40 percent) and trying to find activities that the entire family want to do.
The research also found that over the annual break the parents in the UK will have to deal with 13 sibling fights, two dropped ice creams, six public tantrums, 15 early morning wakeups, two cancelled childcare emergencies and five long car journeys.
A similar study last year revealed parents could expect to deal with an average of 17 tantrums, 19 cries of ‘I’m bored’, and as many as 15 fights over ‘who had it first’. Sounds delightful, right?
Read More: The Ultimate Summer Holiday Survival Guide
“I’m bored!”
A survey of 1,500 parents found that after a few weeks of constant bickering and “I’m bored” comments from their children, today is the day parents officially throw in the towel.
Until this time, parents will take their children to the local park seven times, give in to pester power times seven times for sweets, nine times for an ice-cream and ten times for packets of crisps.
So, it comes to no surprise that parents find themselves pouring themselves a large glass of wine to relieve the stress on average six times (is that all?) over the holidays.
“Are we there yet?”
The nation’s families also expect 14 wails of “are we nearly there yet?”, 14 backseat squabbles on car journeys and as many as 13 rows between mum and dad during the summer break.
READ MORE: Top tips for travelling with children
Around one in ten parents (11 percent) said they actively “dread” the holidays, while 34 percent say they enjoy them at the start but are exhausted by the end – and 54 percent admit the whole period is a “mixed bag of emotions”.
In fact, 55 percent of British parents wish there was more to do with their children during the school holidays, with 35 percent claiming their kids were bored with everything on offer in their area, and 21 percent admitting if they stay in all day they all end up fighting.
Top summer holiday challenges for parents
- Keeping the kids entertained – 48%
- The kids saying they are bored all the time – 40%
- Trying to find something everyone wants to do – 34%
- Siblings fighting with each other – 32%
- Everyone getting on each other’s nerves – 30%
- Constant bickering – 30%
- Trying to limit screen time – 28%
- Everyone going stir crazy – 24%
- Doing the same thing day in day out – 22%
- Trying to juggle work and childcare – 22%
- Your kids’ laziness – 21%
- Being stuck on your own with the kids all day – 21%
- Being shouted at for trying to limit screen time – 17%
- Trying to get the kids out of the house in the morning – 16%
- Their friends being away on holiday – 15%
- Finding the money for childcare – 14%
- Logistics of getting the kids to camps / holiday clubs – 9%
- Making packed lunches for days out – 8%
- Being off with the kids but having to respond to work emails – 8%
- Unreliable childcare – 6%
Keeping the kids entertained in the summer holidays
Speaking about the survey, William Bryan, Managing Director at Drayton Manor Park, said: “For many, the summer holidays are the best time of the year, but we know all too well how difficult it can be to find things to keep the family entertained throughout the six-week break.
“Whether it’s finding the perfect activity for the whole family to enjoy, or trying to stop the kids from moaning about being bored – it seems the holidays can be a real challenge for parents trying to keep everyone happy, particularly after the little ones break up from school.”
Win tickets to Drayton Manor Park this summer
Off the back of the findings, Drayton Manor Park is giving bored families the chance to save their summer with £500 and FREE entry to the park for the ultimate summer of fun. To enter, families should visit draytonmanor.co.uk/competitions by 14 August, explaining in 100 words why they deserve the prize.
William Bryan adds: “That’s why we’re giving parents the opportunity to ‘save their summer’, with £500 cash and unlimited free entry to Drayton Manor Park, to keep young and old entertained throughout the holidays, with our ultimate summer of fun!”
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