A family hotline lands at UK beach to support forgetful parents
For National Beach Day (30 August) Škoda is launching a one-off familying hotline designed to assist families facing beach day dilemmas The activity comes as new research from Škoda revealed that 44 per cent of parents said they have forgotten something on a family daytrip, and 35 per cent revealed their child consequentially had a meltdown Parents will spend on average two painstaking hours getting ready for a family daytrip only to forget crucial essentials like suncream (24%), water bottles (21%), and even towels (10%) Milton Keynes, 29 August 2024 – For National Beach Day (30 August), Škoda is launching a pop-up beach hotline to assist frazzled parents who have forgotten beach essentials on their family daytrip. The hotline comes after Škoda conducted a survey and found that nearly half (44 per cent) of parents have forgotten something on a family day trip with suncream, water bottles and wet wipes topping the list. A whopping 35 per cent of parents also reported that their child had a meltdown as a result of missing essentials. Mindful of the making life easier, Škoda will be on-call at Mersea Island Beach in Essex on 30 August to deliver any forgotten goods as per the parents’ requests. Families simply just need to pick up the Škoda green phone that will be temporarily placed at the beach, and request what they need, whether it’s sunglasses, snacks, suncream or beach towels. The brand is heading to Essex in its newly launched seven-seat Kodiaq SUV with a boot packed full with family essentials ready to solve a crisis. The research revealed that the Great British seaside is the nation’s favourite destination and that 30 per cent of families venture out for a daytrip at least once a week. Nine in 10 travels by car for a day out, covering an average of 88 miles. The survey of 1,000 mums and dads with children aged 14 and under also revealed that getting out the door is no easy feat, with 29 per cent of parents spending two whole hours or more trying leave the house for a daytrip! But despite planning with “military precision” they still manage to forget the essentials, with one in 10 frantic families admitting to forgetting the obvious beach towel, 12 per cent leaving behind a change of clothes for their kids, leaving parents feeling annoyed (37 per cent) and unorganised (26 per cent). Stressed parents revealed the biggest barriers to getting their little ones out of the house were packing lunches (32 per cent), getting them dressed (25 per cent) and a last-minute round of toilet trips (25 per cent). With 49 per cent of parents forking out extra cash for replacement items, and 16 per cent blaming their partner for the mishap, it’s clear that Škoda’s beach hotline is set to be a game-changer for family daytrips. The study, carried out via OnePoll, found that parents typically pack four entertainment devices and toys, including tablets (49 per cent) and soft toys (37 per cent). However, 23 per cent feel they never have any space in their car once it’s packed for a day trip and 44 per cent said the amount they take makes a day out feel like a mini holiday. Kirsten Stagg, Head of Marketing at Škoda UK, said: “As a parent myself, I understand the stress and panic of getting to your destination and realising you’ve left behind essentials. The Kodiaq has space for up to seven people and we’ve packed the boot full to help keep families smiling so they can just enjoy the day.” TOP 20 THINGS PARENTS FORGET ON DAYTRIPS Suncream Water bottles Wet wipes Sunglasses Hats Power bank Change of clothes for my child(ren) Towels e.g. for the beach/swimming Snacks Plasters/first aid kid Change of shoes Headphones Cutlery Change of clothes for myself Bucket and spade Toys / entertainment devices Cold drinks / ice box Beach chairs Napkins In-car sweets
