Summer break-down: Seven in 10 parents say the school holidays are the most stressful time of year

Published: 14:51, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 14:56, 1 July 2026 WITH the school holidays starting at the end of the month parents across the country are bracing themselves for six stressful weeks. Whether it is seeing their children dossing about or snacking constantly while on video games, more than seven in ten British parents say the summer holidays are the most stressful time of the year. According to a new survey having children at home for the summer also sees bills rocket by more than £175 with screen time being blamed by mums and dads. To soften the blow more than two thirds save throughout the year, with nearly half relying on cashback deals to manage the costs. When 2,000 parents were asked by Utility Warehouse, nearly half agreed hearing their children say ‘I am bored’ repeatedly drove them round the twist. More than a third added that seeing wrappers left all over the house irritated them. Parents yearn for a simple household balance with their children agreeing to help out  more if they are going to spend considerably more time indoors It is the little things which go a long way such as switching the lights off, tidying up and keeping noise volumes at a reasonable level, the study found. Brace yourselves parents: The summer holidays are the most stressful time of the year  Nearly two thirds of parents tell their children to switch things off, while 44% actively tell them to cut back on their energy use – issuing those reminders an average of nine times a week. Dr Becky Spelman, a Psychologist and Founder of Private Therapy Clinic, advises that the best way forward is to compromise and communicate. She said: ‘Teenagers may push back against control, but they are often more reasonable when they understand the practical impact on the household. Keep the conversation short, avoid lectures, and agree consequences that are realistic. ‘Parents should not expect a perfectly tidy, perfectly quiet summer. That will only create more tension. Aim for a workable household rhythm where teenagers have freedom, but also understand that being at home all day means contributing to the home.’ To help parents Dr Becky has devised some easy suggestions to manage any household tensions. These include agreeing specific rules from the start for example spelling out that the taps need to be turned off or the bins taken out. Giving older children more control over what chores they do also helps avoid rows. David Walter, of Utility Warehouse, sympathised with parents worrying about bills increasing because of the holidays. He said: ‘Parents tell us they just want a simple way to stay on top of the household admin.’ To help keep costs down families should look into streamlining their bills and buying a smart meter, Mr Walter added. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.