Millions of parents leave the essentials at home every time they go on a day trip – sunscreen, water bottles and wet wipes are the most forgotten.
A survey of 1,000 mums and dads with children under 14 found that 32% “always” or “often” go on trips with their family only to find they’ve left something behind.
Other important foodstuffs are beach towels (10%) and children’s change of clothes (12%). This is despite the fact that 29% took two hours or more to get ready and leave home for a day trip.
The study was carried out by Škoda, makers of the Kodiaq, who have installed the unusual phone on Mersea Island Beach in Essex.
The automaker launched it ahead of National Beach Day (Friday, Aug. 30. Called the “Family Beach Service Phone,” it’s designed to help parents who’ve forgotten essentials on their family day outing.
A remarkable 44% said they had forgotten something on family trips, with sunscreen, water bottles and wet wipes topping the list, and more than a third have reported their children have had meltdowns due to missing essentials.
Kirsten Stagg, a spokeswoman for Škoda, which has created the new seven-seat family SUV – which includes wireless device charging and integrated ChatGPT – said: “As a parent myself, I understand the stress and panic of getting to your destination and figuring you out. I’ve left the essentials behind.”
Visiting the UK’s seaside is the country’s favorite family day trip destination, according to research.
With 30% of families enjoying a day trip at least once a week, and nine out of ten traveling by car for such a day – an average of 88 miles per trip.
Stressed-out parents revealed that the biggest obstacles to getting their kids out the door are packing lunches (32%), getting dressed (25%) and last-minute trips to the bathroom (25%).
And despite their best efforts to do otherwise, many have forgotten the essentials, leaving mums and dads feeling irritated (37%) and disorganized (26%). It has also resulted in 49% not buying replacement products and 16% blaming their partner for the accident.
The survey, conducted via OnePoll, found that parents usually pack four entertainment devices and toys, including tablets (49%) and soft toys (37%).
However, 23% feel they never run out of space in their car when it’s packed for a day trip, and 44% said the amount of stuff they take makes the day feel like a mini-vacation.
