Holidays are 'important' for parents

Holidays are vital for parents to recharge their batteries and spend time together, it has been claimed, in the light of new research showing that the average couple with children only manages to spend 15 minutes of "quality time".

That adds up to just 9.8 days per year, according to Holiday Inn, which commissioned the research.

The 15 minutes typically consists of five minutes per day before the children wake up, and ten minutes before going to sleep.

"It's quite shocking how little time couples have together when their children are young. I'm sure most parents wouldn't change having their kids for the world, but it's pretty tough on a relationship. Getting away is clearly a really important treat for parents," said Holiday Inn spokesman Chris Hale.

He added: "Once the kids have left home a huge number of our guests are escaping for four or more weekend breaks across the UK - that should offer some kind of hope for parents with younger children."

The survey showed that 44 per cent of couples think that they can only spend quality time together when they are away from home.

Destinations News posted on 12/03/2008 11:07:06