the Wedding Planner

UK Wedding News

08/11/2016

Parents' Finances Impacted Following Longer Half-Term Break

A new poll has revealed that parents had to spend more money on their children as this year's October half-term holiday was extended by an additional week.

The survey, which was commissioned by sunshine.co.uk, involved 1,672 parents with school-aged children around the UK. Their children all had an extra week off school.

Firstly, participants were asked 'How much extra did the October half term cost you, due to the additional week off?'

On average, the cost was found to be an additional £380. Parents were then asked what they spent most money on during those extra days. Topping the list was keeping the children entertained, such as with going to the cinema, with 27% of the vote. Childcare came in at a close second with 25%. This was followed by 21% saying food/drink for the kids (whether takeaways or home cooking), travel costs (18%) and holidays 5%.

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When parents were asked what activities they had turned to in order to keep their offspring entertained, the most popular answers were theme parks (17%), zoos/wildlife parks (15%), cinema (12%) and arts/crafts (11%).

87% said that they relied on television and gadgets to entertain their children, while 16% of parents said their children didn't leave the house for more than five days in total over the half-term break.

Elsewhere, when it comes to the longer half-term break, some 76% of parents actually admitted that they would rather their child only had one week off in October. 56%, for example, said that the additional break had caused problems with work.

Commenting on the findings, Sue Anderson, from sunshine.co.uk, said: "The extra week off that some parents were faced with over the most recent school holiday break was always going to be a bit of a financial shock. Whatever the half term normally cost them, it was bound to double.

"Shortening the summer holidays is no bad thing though; six weeks is a long old stint for parents to find childcare over and keep boredom at bay, so five weeks is more than enough."

(JP/MH)

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"A new poll has revealed that parents had to spend more money on their children as this year's October half-term holiday was extended by an additional week."