End of the family holiday: Three-quarters of working parents now travel separately to juggle childcare

The majority of parents are now faced with the dilemma of both the mother and father working to ensure they can bring in an adequate income for the household, but the pressures have intensified to such an extent that the traditional family holiday now appears to be under threat.

Some 73 per cent of parents surveyed for Nationwide Savings have to stagger their leave from work with their partner to cover childcare over the holiday period, leaving less time for the whole family to enjoy time off together.

Meanwhile, one in four parents surveyed admitted to having “played hooky” in the past, by telling a school their child was ill or making another excuse so they could take them on holiday during term time, when cheaper deals were available.

Andrew Baddeley-Chappell, Nationwide Building Society’s head of savings policy, said: “As our research shows, planning a family holiday can be a tricky process, with parents revealing not just the financial pressures but also the impact on family and working relationships.”

Parents in the Midlands, London, the North East, Northern Ireland, Wales and East Anglia were most likely to have taken their children on a “hooky holiday” in the past after claiming they were ill, the research which is published today has found.

Those in Scotland and south-west England were the least likely to say they had pretended their child was ill during term time to take them on holiday.

Three in 10 parents said they have had to go away on holiday without their partner in the past, with around one in 11 regularly doing so, due to work pressures.

More than four-fifths of working parents said they find it difficult booking off the time they need for holidays. Nearly two-thirds have to book holidays at least three months in advance, the survey of 2,000 parents with school-age children found.

One in five usually book their holidays as soon as the work calendar starts so that childcare can be covered at difficult times such as Christmas and summer holidays. For almost half of parents this tactic left them feeling guilty about the effect on their work colleagues without children.

Nationwide Savings also surveyed 2,000 working age people who do not have children. More than a quarter of people in that survey felt workplace etiquette dictated that they should not book leave during school holiday periods - when their colleagues with children would want to take time off.