Parents argue with their kids six times a day, study reveals

But what are they most likely to fight about?

argument

It's hard to keep track of the endless bickering between parent and child.

Anything and everything can end up as a battleground in a stressed-out household.

But to even the most frustrated of parents, it might come as a shock to find that parents argue with their kids six times a day.

A poll of 2000 flustered mums and dads with kids between two to ten has found that they end up bickering with their children more than a handful of times on a daily basis.

However, the top reason why is a tale as old as time.

The most common argument brought up by the parents is all down to eating habits.

Parents are finding they argue the most often with their kids when they catch them scoffing sweets, refusing healthy snacks or refusing to eat their greens.

More and more parents are arguing with their children over spending time online, as well as brushing their teeth before bed.

It seems that children tend to come out as winners in the bust-ups.

Kids reign victorious in six out of ten arguments, with parents tending to use reward charts and treats to goad their little ones into good behaviour.

A dad helping his child with drawing and craft

iStock

More parents are resorting to handing out extra screen time or using an increase in pocket money as an incentive.

Although it appears that neither side are willing to give up the fight easily.

On average, families spend 48 minutes a day arguing, which totals 12 days a year.

That works out at around 42 clashes a week, resulting in 2184 fights a year. Ouch.

A spokesperson for Capri-Sun juice, which carried out the study, said: “Many parents believe reaching a compromise is the best way to keep everyone happy. Mums and dads have the tricky task.”

And on top of keeping the peace, parents have a far more difficult task when it comes to bringing up second-born children.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the second-born child is 25 to 40 per cent more likely than their older sibling to end up getting into trouble at school.

The experts say that as the second child has never existed without their sibling, the difference in quality alone time contributes to more behavioural issues.

Anna Bailey
Editor in Chief

Anna Bailey has been the editor of Goodto since 2018. Before joining the team she was Features Editor at MSN UK, where she oversaw Family Health and Days Out. Previously, she was Digital Lifestyle Editor for the broadcaster UKTV, and Lifestyle Editor for ITV.com. Anna studied Multi-Media Journalism at Bournemouth University and went on to gain her NCTJ and NCE  journalism qualifications. Anna is responsible for driving the direction and editorial strategy of Goodto. A mum and experienced baby product tester, she is passionate about providing safe, trustworthy, and relatable advice for families of all kinds.