Scotland's school summer holiday headaches revealed

With the kids now back to school, a new survey has revealed what parents in Scotland worried about the most during the holidays.

Clothing retailer Buy Jeans asked 500 Scots for their two cents when it came to what made the school holidays so stressful for parents.

The pressures associated with keeping the kids occupied scooped the top spot, followed by the financial burden that comes with family holidays and other summer holiday entertainment options - suggesting that parents are getting more than they bargained for once schools have broken up.

Fun and games

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With a formidable 38% of the vote, occupying the kids throughout the summer holidays is considered a national concern - as parents struggle to keep up with their children’s constant need to be engaged and entertained.

Women in Scotland feel especially stretched, with half of all female voters citing this as a primary worry when the kids are off school.

34% of respondents also cited the collective costs of booking family holidays during peak season and taking the children out for all manner of day trips, activities and adventures.

Rates and responsibilities

In third place, it looks like childcare is also a very costly affair for parents across Scotland - with 21% of all voters naming this a source of significant stress.

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The responsibilities don’t stop there, though - as 16% of respondents believe Scotland’s mums and dads are losing sleep over the amount of time their kids spend using devices such as phones and tablets, and logged into their social media accounts.

With teens glued to their screens in 2018, studies show hyperconnectivity is a very real concern for parents - although equally plugged-in parents may not be in a position to police this over-reliance on technology.

Term-time prep

It looks like parents throughout Scotland spend a chunk of the summer holidays preparing for the start of the new school year - with 8% of survey participants highlighting the challenges that come with maintaining a daily routine while school’s out.

7% of Scots also revealed uniform costs can amount to a princely sum - especially when combined with new stationery, lunch boxes, books and more.

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From booking holidays at sky-high prices to keeping kids constantly entertained and preparing them for the start of a new term, the beginning, middle and end of the summer holidays are fraught with drama for Scotland’s parent population - but hopefully the back-to-school season brings some welcome respite for weary mums and dads nationwide.

Which of the following do you think parents worry most about during the school holidays?

Keeping the kids occupied: 38.2%

Cost of entertainment/family holidays: 33.9%

Childcare fees: 21.4%

Too much tech time: 15.6%

Maintaining a daily routine: 7.6%

Uniform costs: 6.9%