Research shows summer holidays are the best opportunity for families to spend time together

Everyone looks forward to getting away from the stresses and strains of everyday life for a few weeks each year during the summer, although recent research has indicated that these trips could actually be more important than many people think.

This is especially true for those with families, as the latest study by HouseTrip.com has revealed that the amount of quality time that families spend together during a regular working week is shockingly low - meaning summer holidays provide the only real chance to enjoy each other's company.

Indeed, the survey, which involved just over 2,000 British adults, has showed that on average, families are able to spend just 169 minutes of quality time together during any given week, while almost a quarter said they get to spend less than an hour a day relaxing with their loved ones between Monday and Friday.

For this reason, the summer holidays provide the perfect opportunity to put this right, which is why 60 per cent of parents surveyed said the thing they are most looking forward to on their next getaway is the chance to spend some much needed time with their kids.

When conducting the study, HouseTrip.com teamed up with psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who had the following to say about the findings: "That so many families are spending less than three hours together in the week is a reflection on how busy modern life has become.

The summer months have traditionally been the time when families reconnect and focus on proper 'us time'."

That said, it's not always easy to organise the perfect family holiday, with around a third of respondents saying they find it challenging trying to find a destination that appeals to both them and their little ones, while four-fifths also admitted that romance has to be put on the back-burner when they're holidaying with kids.

Planning a family holiday? Make sure you have suitable family travel insurance in place before you travel.

Posted by Robin Western

Published 01 Jul 2014

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