My niece is four-years-old. It’s no exaggeration to say that her social life is better than mine – by some considerable distance.
In the past few weeks alone she has attended two kiddie raves (don’t ask), explored the ginnels of Skipton Castle (that’s alleyways to non-Northerners), seen Disney on Ice (Frozen, naturally), made baked apples at CommuniTree in the local park, attended a badge-making course, and spent many happy hours collecting conkers.
Over the same period I have sat at my computer, binge-watched DCI Banks, sat at my desk some more, and, er, that’s it. I did go to Skipton but only because my niece was making the trip.
Of course, I realise that keeping kids entertained doesn’t come cheap. While many children’s activities are free, lots require deep pockets. My sister jokes about taking out a second mortgage for Disney on Ice tickets, and I spend my fair share of cash on Peppa Pig magazines, Paw Patrol stickers, and something extremely odd called Shopkins.
As an Aunty, half-term doesn’t mean much to me. I’ll be taking the little one for her first taste of Indian street food tomorrow in Manchester but I’m lucky in that I don’t have to take care of her all week. Then the costs would really mount up.
According to Equifax, a credit information expert, UK parents spend an average of £323 on childcare and activities during the autumn school break – that’s £144 on the former and £179 on the latter – and breaks down into more than £60 a day.
When it comes to financial outlay, mums and dads in the North East top the spending chart. Almost a quarter in the region splash out up to £150, and 19 per cent spend up to £200 during the week.
The holiday is difficult in other ways. Equifax’s research suggests that one in five parents find the break stressful, with those in Scotland topping the anxiety list.
Lisa Hardstaff, Equifax credit information expert, said: ‘The cost of half-term is clearly taking its toll on parents, with an overwhelming 62 per cent saying that the cost of school holidays is increasing year-on-year. It is only the first half-term of the academic year, yet it is interesting to see just how quickly the costs can add up. In previous research we found that parents had to find an additional £300 to kit their child out at the start of new academic year.’
The research also highlights that, aside from the direct financial pressures facing families over the break, almost one in three feel that their child misses out on activities due to the cost. And 15 per cent of parents say that their child is envious of friends because their pals can afford to do more activities during half-term.
Michael Mercieca, chief executive of Young Enterprise said: ‘Not only is it important for parents to ensure they are prepared for the financial side of the half-term break, but they must help their children to understand the value of money. By becoming fully aware of the financial difficulties that some families can face, young people will learn to appreciate what their parents can offer which will put less pressure on them during the school holidays.’
Hardstaff added: ‘The costs of school holidays, coupled with back to school costs can really add up, which is why we encourage families to try to set aside savings over the year to help them cope with these expenses. By factoring in all additional costs, parents can ensure their kids get the most out of their breaks.’
Helen Nugent is Online Money Editor of The Spectator
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