Summer is the hottest time for family arguments as parents struggle to keep everyone happy, poll finds

Financial impact of the six week break was likely to cause contention, survey finds

When the sun is shining the family rows are brewing according to a new poll. (AFP/Getty Images)

Parents feel pressured to keep the family happy over the summer holidays, according to a new poll.

Worries about money, places to eat and films to watch will likely be at the centre of family arguments this summer in a struggle to keep everyone entertained, the survey of 2,000 parents with children aged four to 12 in full-time education, found.

Respondent predicted that they would spend £542 between now and the start of September ensuring their children have things to do, with 77 per cent overall admitting they felt pressured to keep everyone happy.

The financial impact of the six week break was likely to cause contention.

The average British family will have 18 rows over the course of the summer, the poll found.

One in 10 believed choosing a film to watch was the catalyst to quarrel, while the same amount blamed the summer heat for putting family tensions at boiling point.

One in five respondents pinpointed the summer break as the time they are most likely to have a family fall out.

“With the summer holidays just underway, families could already be finding it difficult to all agree on activities or decide on days out to keep the whole household happy, causing tensions to mount,” said Julie Daniels, head of partnerships at comparison website comparethemarket.com, which commissioned the research.

“Planning lots together as a family is a great way to reconnect."

SWNS