Half of parents blame their kids for stressful car journeys
“Are we there yet?”
Do tears, tantrums and constant questions like this haunt your family car trips?
Nearly half of mums and dads admit their children’s backseat habits make car journeys stressful, with complaints of boredom ranking at the top of parent’s gripes.
Sibling squabbles and forgotten toys
A recent study of 2,000 parents has revealed the top irritations that cause stress on family journeys.
According to the study, a quarter of mums and dads get annoyed by children kicking the backseat, while three in 10 name toilet breaks as the most annoying disruption to trips.
Other frustrations included constant questions, sibling fights and the need for attention causing parents stress on the road.
Backseat distractions were even shown to cause delays to routine car trips, adding an additional 33 minutes to weekly journeys thanks to delayed departures, toilet stops, missed turnings and forgotten toys.
As many as nine in 10 parents admit to bribing their kids with treats or additional screen time to ease the strain on long journeys.
What the kids think
But it’s not just parents who find car journeys unenjoyable – according to polls, the kids are also frustrated, with a third of children blaming annoying siblings for their bad behaviour and 57% saying they find car journeys too long.
Parenting psychologist Emma Kenny urges families to try and change how they think of long car journeys, instead trying to see them as an opportunity to bring the family closer.
She said: “Whilst car journeys can be considered stressful, this research shows the amazing opportunity that they present for families to have uninterrupted opportunities to spend time together.
“The car can provide a great opportunity for families to connect with one another and bond, especially on longer journeys – so make the most of the time together.”
Got a bad habit of missing turnings? Here are the top 10 driving distractions which could be taking your attention away from the road.
