Parents deal with 91 battles a week
As you look forward to heading home for the weekend, here's a survey that may ring true.
For a new study has revealed that in the South West, parents have a staggering 91 battles a week with their children – and win 73 of them.
· The most common battles take place around bedtime when mums and dads desperately try to get their children to go to sleep without a fight.
· Cleaning up their mess, not allowing junk food and getting them to brush their teeth were also amongst the constant clashes between parents and offspring.
· Researchers studied 2,000 parents of children aged one to ten, and found more than a quarter of households are ruled by the kids.
· Other battles occur when parents drag their offspring to appointments at the doctors, dentists or opticians.
The research was commissioned by Sight Care, a support network for independent opticians, in collaboration with sponsors Johnson & Johnson Vision Care to celebrate Community Opticians Day this weekend.
The research found that despite opticians’ visits being quick and painless, 22 per cent of parents in the South West say that going to the opticians is a particularly hard battle they face with their children.
Paul Surridge, Chief Executive of Sight Care, said: “Parents clearly have a lot of work on their hands, and we can sympathise with this.
''Most kids try their luck and many parents will be used to continually telling their children to put stuff back or to stop doing this or that.
''And it’s not surprising that many parents may dread going to appointments with the optician or similar in case their child misbehaves – it’s almost a necessary evil.
“But one third of parents have noticed their child struggling to read or write because of their eyes, and a huge 32 per cent in the South West said their child’s concentration levels improved as a result of having treatment for their eyesight such as getting glasses, contact lenses or a change in prescription.
‘’So it’s encouraged to persuade children to go – even if it does start World War Three.’’
Community Opticians Day takes place on Saturday 6th September, celebrating local communities and the high street, encouraging families to support their local independent optician.
The study also found that parents across the UK do win the majority of battles, with children getting their own way 18 times over the course of a typical week.
However 60 per cent of parents are driven to despair when their children throw a tantrum each time they don’t get their own way.
Nearly half of parents find it hard to be consistent and remain strict and said they often just ‘give-in’ for an easy life.
A more persistent 36 per cent said they hate it if their children get one over on them and win an argument.
The results also revealed the battles begin as early as 7:08am and continue through to bedtime.
Other clashes parents often face are asking their child not to jump on furniture, getting them to eat their greens and getting them to sit at the dinner table.
Breaking up fights between siblings and putting packets or sweet wrappers in the bin are also issues mum and dad regularly tackle.
And battles aren’t always fought at home, many parents will find themselves fighting to get out of a shop when their child wants to make a purchase.
Bath time, getting homework done and persuading a child to dress in an appropriate outfit rather than something they insist on wearing also made the list of Top 50 arguments.
But while the list is long, almost two thirds of parents said they pick their battles with their children wisely in order to avoid an unnecessary outburst or a scene.
And a further six in ten parents admitted they feel guilty about rowing with their children – especially if it’s something really small.
So while many parents may think they are the only ones who regularly battle with their children, they’re not alone.
Paul Surridge added: ‘’The research ties in with the back to school season as I am sure parents will be taking on more battles as school starts.
“4-6 years old seems to be the most difficult age for visiting the optician, with 18 per cent of mums worrying about their youngster misbehaving. The main issues being that their children are afraid of the dark, won’t sit still or won’t answer the optician’s questions. We even discovered that one in six children are actually frightened of going to see the optician.
“Our eyesight is incredibly important, and our research shows that a third of parents in the South West don’t know that their child’s eyes should be tested annually. So we hope this reminds parents of the value of a family optician.”
To help parents win this battle, Sight Care and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care are offering them the chance to win a Merlin Entertainment annual family pass if they book an eye appointment at one of Sight Care’s independent opticians during the month of September.
To find your local independent optician visit www.sightcarelocal.co.uk
TOP 50 BATTLES PARENTS FACE
1. Getting them into bed on time without a fight
2. Asking them to help clean a mess they’ve made
3. When they want more treats
4. Persuading them to take their medicine
5. Getting them to stay in bed once you’ve got them in
6. Getting them to brush their teeth
7. Persuading them to eat their vegetables
8. Getting them to stay in bed after 5am despite the sun being up
9. Asking them to tidy their room
10. Getting them to eat the same meal as the rest of the family
11. Getting them to eat a whole plate of dinner
12. Asking them to open their mouth for the dentist
13. When they want to buy something from the shop
14. Putting rubbish in the bin
15. Them refusing to eat the meal they’ve been served
16. Getting them to cut their food properly using knife and fork
17. When they want sweets or treats between meals
18. Stopping them from jumping all over the sofas
19. Getting them to stop fighting with a sibling
20. Encouraging them to sit nicely at the table to eat
21. Asking them to acknowledge adults when they say hello
22. Simply getting them out the door on time in the morning
23. Asking them to do their homework without whining
24. Getting them dressed into an appropriate outfit rather than something they insist on wearing
25. Getting them to stop nagging for dessert before everyone at the table has finished their main course
26. Getting them into the bath
27. Getting them to go to the toilet before you go out somewhere
28. Trying to get them to listen to you rather than the television
29. Asking them to take their toys out of the living room
30. Getting them to say please and thank you
31. Wiping / cleaning their face
32. Trying to get them out of a soft play or park to go home
33. Asking them to get of a computer or games console
34. Stopping a fight between siblings on a car journey
35. Encouraging your child to do what they want when they are ill
36. Getting them to smile in a photo
37. Making them wear a hat in the sunshine
38. When they change their mind about what they want for breakfast
39. Asking them to eat fruit
40. Encouraging them to help out around the house
41. Persuading them to leave a toy at home when leaving the house
42. Putting a coat on when it’s cold
43. Encouraging them to go to the doctor
44. Stopping them from picking their nose
45. Stopping them from pouring too much ketchup/ salt etc
46. Getting them to behave at the opticians
47. Putting suntan lotion on in the summer
48. Dragging them to the opticians
49. When they fight over having a specific plate, cup of cutlery
50. Eat the crust of their bread
