Mid-August onwards marks ‘breaking point’ for majority of local parents, survey reveals

The excitement of the school summer holidays fades by mid-August for most parents and families in Eastbourne, according to new research. The survey, of nearly 1,000 households across Eastbourne and East Sussex found that more than three-quarters (77%) of families feel the strain of the long academic holiday by this point in the summer.

The research, conducted by full fibre hyper fast broadband provider Lightning Fibre, highlights that family tensions begin to rise just 14 days into the school break with more than a quarter (26%) of households reporting that two weeks is the tipping point for maintaining family harmony.  A further 20% of parents say they make it to at least week three of the summer school holiday before cracks in family harmony begin toform and a hardy 19% make it to mid-August before reaching their breaking point. Interestingly, 12% of parents find discord beginning as early as the first week.

The findings highlight a shift in the mood as the summer wears on, with the prolonged break eventually taking its toll on the majority of households. 

With almost two thirds (61%) of parents agreeing that the long summer break is a cause of stress, the reasons for this are varied, with the top issues cited as: Cost of holidays away from home (88%);  General financial strain (87%); Juggling work and children (75%).

Additional contributors to escalating stresslevels in the household during the summer break include children’s behaviourwith 60% of parents citing frustration over their children not tidying up afterthemselves, and 50% noting their children’s lack of constructive activities.Sibling bickering and constant snacking are also complaints, with four in tenhouseholds identifying these as key stress points. Additionally, nearly half(49%) of parents report that bad sleeping patterns are a source of irritation. 

With no school work and a halt to the usual term-time extra-curricular activities, almost half (48%) of all households report an escalation in online activity, such as  gaming and use of streaming services, while two thirds of households reporting that internet issues, such as  buffering or outages, can lead to a complete meltdown in the home. 

Rob Reaks, CCO of Lightning Fibre who commissioned the research, said: “Our homes have become utterly reliant on broadband and when multiple broadband-reliant devices don’t perform as required it can be frustrating. ‘Load-rage’ is a genuine phenomenon in households without full-fibre hyper-fast broadband. Full-fibre broadband is the solution for these households - it’s not only faster but a greener and often cheaper option”.

Despite the challenges, 60% of parents say they enjoy the reprieve from the demands of the academic year -  school runs; packed lunches; homework demands, as well as extra-curricular activities. However, 40% of households admit they are eagerly anticipating the start of the new school year. Roll on September! 

‍