Kids damage

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New research out today reveals that British parents are set to splash out a staggering £1.8billion a year repairing damage to their homes - caused by the destructive force of their children1.

The study of 3,000 parents by esure home insurance shows that the average child is responsible for £104.61 worth of damage caused around the home every year and the average family will spend around £2,000 on repairs for the damage caused before their child leaves home2.

Smashed ornaments, ripped wallpaper and food stains on the furniture are just some of the things children are guilty of on a daily basis - with spillages on carpets topping the list of damage caused by kids. The average child has inserted foreign objects into DVD and CD players, plastered the walls with stickers and even broken bed frames by using them as trampolines.

The poll shows that seven in 10 (70 per cent) parents say their children cause far more damage in the house than they do, costing them a small fortune. In a battle of the sexes, it’s the boys that cause the most damage - with 60 per cent of parents questioned claiming their sons wreak more havoc around the house than daughters.

The survey also shows that nearly one in five (18 per cent) parents have had to replace at least one carpet in their house, while 12 per cent have even had to buy a new bed. Surprisingly, one in 20 parents have been forced to buy a new TV as a result of the damage caused by their children. Furthermore, a fifth (20 per cent) of families have even admitted to being forced to wallpaper a whole room after failing to successfully remove their child’s artwork or montage.

But the nation’s parents are very forgiving. In fact, more than half of parents don’t think their kids have damaged the house intentionally, preferring to believe they get a little over excited when playing. Of those, four in 10 (40 per cent) parents say their children just don’t think of the consequences and nearly a third (32 per cent) put it down to their clumsiness.

Nikki Sellers, Head of home insurance at esure, said: "With the Easter holidays just around the corner it will mean more family time together in the home - with kids’ friends around and visits from relatives - so this is a prime time for breakages.

That’s why it’s crucial to have ample accidental damage cover, as energetic children desperately searching for ways to amuse themselves can rack up hundreds of pounds worth of damage, especially when it comes to more expensive items such as beds and electricals."

According to the survey, other damage commonly caused by children includes smashing cups, plates and crockery, and painting or drawing on the walls. They are also responsible for blocking toilets and drains, putting household objects in the washing machine and leaning on cupboard doors until they break from their hinges. Drinks spilt down the curtains, broken vases and ornaments and smashed televisions are also regularly cleared up by parents tearing their hair out because of the amount of damage caused.

 

Kids damage - the top 20
  %
1 Spillages on the carpet  65
2 Drawing or painting on the walls 48
3 Stickers on walls 44
4 Food stains on the furniture 40
5 Ripped wallpaper 30
6 Smashed plates, cups and crockery 29
7 Drinks stains on curtains 21
8 Blocked toilets 20
9 Food or foreign objects in the CD and DVD players 18
10 Smashed ornaments and vases 17
11 Household objects in the washing machine 14 
12 Broken bed frames after use as a trampoline 12
13 Broken cupboard doors 11
14= Smashed television 10
14= Smashed pictures and photo frames 10
16 Pouring / spilling something into the television 8
17 Holes and pulls in the carpet 8
19= Broken knobs and buttons on washing machines,
cupboards, oven, dishwasher etc		 8
19= Mobile phone down the toilet 7
20 Smashed lampshades 6


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esure's press contacts:

Asia Yasir, Public Relations Officer: 01737 641305
Niki Bolton, Corporate Communications Manager: 01737 235070
Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications: 01737 641000
Email: pr@esure.com
An ISDN line is available for radio interviews.

Notes to Editors:

  1. SWNS conducted an online research survey via Onepoll which interviewed a random sample of 3,000 parents between 15th and 26th February 2009. Calculation: (£104.61 x 18 years) x 17.1million families = £1,788,831,000
  2. Assumption made on the basis that children will leave their parental home at the age of 18.