NYSUMMER-By Zoya Gervis
New York office – 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
Stressed-out parents want summer to end after just 13 days, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 parents examined how they cope with the school summer break and found it takes less than two weeks for moms and dads to feel the stress takes toll.
The pressure to entertain is great. More than half of parents (58%) find themselves pressured to plan out what their kids will do for the entirety of their summer.
And planning ahead can be daunting, which can explain why 75 percent of parents feel ready for their kids to go back to school at the end of the summer.
The study, conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Groupon, looked into the parental decisions associated with summer planning for their children and found that three in five parents worry that their summer plans won’t live up to their kids’ expectations.
In fact, 64 percent of parents have felt like they were letting their kid down because they wanted them to do, see, or have something one of their friends had or experienced as well.
So what kinds of things are causing parents to be filled with guilt? It turns out that the number one reason for PSG (Parental Summer Guilt) was when their kids stayed in the house rather than getting out and about.
“It’s summertime and you gotta find your kids something to do. Because an energetic kid with too much free time can land you in small claims court,” said actress and Groupon spokesperson Tiffany Haddish in the company’s new summer radio ad.
Although parents are feeling pressure to go on nice summer vacations, it doesn’t seem like they are holding back on spending money for their kids to have an epic summer break.
Throughout the entire summer, parents will shell out an average of $7,333.80 on making sure their kids are having the time of their lives.
While kids are spending the equivalent of 9 straight days playing video games, parents are looking for creative and unique ways to get them out of the house and help them create some epic summer memories.
For the seven in 10 parents that are prepared for the summer, the number one way to get a kid off a screen and out of the house was to take them to a water park or amusement park.
Keeping kids entertained is integral for parents. Taking them to the movies, going to the zoo or animal park, bowling, and going camping or sending the kids camping were just some of the many ways that parents were able to get their kids out of the house during the summer.
So why are parents choosing these types of activities for their kids? It turns out that the most important factor for parents was having quality family time.
Other factors included cost-effectiveness, teaching children something or experiencing other cultures and things, they get a good balance of relaxation and culture, and that the kids will ultimately have things to show or talk about with all their friends when they finally get back to school.
“Parents love spending time with their kids, but it’s totally normal to experience some stress and anxiety when planning all the fun that you’re going to have together this summer,” said Brian Fields, Groupon’s head of things to do. “The parents we interviewed said they’ve found the most success by not overthinking the situation and turning to affordable activities in their local community.”
Cost of summer:
Cost of tickets/entry fees/activities during summer: 278.16 (for 2 weeks) x 6 (12 weeks of summer)= $1,668.96
Cost of food and drinks for kids during summer: 255.83 (for 2 weeks) x 6 (12 weeks of summer) = $1,534.98
Cost of toys/games/things to occupy kids for kids during summer: 173.19 (for 2 weeks) x 6 ( 12 weeks of summer) = $1,039.14
All other expenses on children during summer: 515.22 (for 2 weeks) x 6 (12 weeks of summer) = $3,090.72
$1,668.96+$1,534.98+$1,039.14+ $3,090.72= $7,333.80
Top 5 Ways To Get Kids Out The House
Go to a water park/ amusement park
Go to the movies
Go to the zoo/animal park
Bowling
Go camping/ send the kids camping
Top 5 Summer Factors For Deciding What To Plan For Children’s Summer Break
That it will lead to quality family time
That it’s cost-effective
That it’ll teach the children something/ they’ll experience other cultures/ things
That they get a good balance of relaxation and culture
That the kids will have things to show/talk about with their friends when they get back
ENDS
