NEWS COPY
What do the stars of the X Factor, the neighbour’s cat, EastEnders and unexpected callers have in common?
No, they’re not guests at the strangest party you’ve ever been to, they’re among the top 50 things which make Britain’s dads grumpy, according to a new survey.
Lights left on in empty rooms, heating on too high, drum and bass music and being treated like a taxi service also featured on the chart of cantankerousness.
Almost a quarter of British dads admit they are ALWAYS cranky while another 73 per cent reckon they are becoming more so as they get older.
And it is not the privilege of old men – as dads are at their most grumpy at the age of 39.
Pollyanna Haigh from Merlin Annual Pass, who commissioned the research, said “From our experience, Dad’s will openly admit they have a reputation for being the grumpy ones of the family, and we wanted to see if this really was the case; and the survey suggests it is!
“As we all know, everyone has grumbles from time to time – perhaps dads are just not as good at hiding their moans as others.
“However, children grow up so fast, so it’s important for families to maximise the fun times together before they grow up and become parents themselves.”
The poll of 1,000 UK fathers found people leaving the lights on is most likely to make them grumble, followed by traffic jams, bad drivers, general bad manners and cold callers in the evening.
Their football team losing, work interrupting family time, X Factor, the cost and planning involved in a family day trip and the kids arguing completed the top ten.
The biggest general reasons for grumpiness are work, while money and household chores and jobs can also cause dads to have a moan.
But these grumbles aren’t a rare occurrence with the average dad admitting to around nine a week – more than once a day.
Luckily for families though, 62 per cent reckon they are at the most grumpy during the working week, coming out of their mood in time for the weekend.
More than half of dads also believe a good night’s sleep is often all it takes to bring an end to their grumpiness with another 27 per cent saying food helps.
A family day out, a nice gesture from a partner or children and a cold beer or lager can also improve their mood.
It also emerged three quarters of dads believe they need to make more effort to be less grumpy, with 72 per cent saying time with their family and fun days out would result in a less grumpy dad.
And if you want to catch dad at his most awesome, on holiday is the best time, followed by the evenings and weekends, and when playing with the children.
Pollyanna Haigh from Merlin Annual Pass added: “We commissioned this research after hearing from our attraction guests that their families behave so differently when on a family day out – they are carefree and relaxed, no sight of grumpiness!
“Everyone has times where life takes over and can cause grumpiness and the survey is proof of that. To help those mums and dads out there have a year of fun with their family, our January sale has started where you can purchase the Merlin Annual Pass from just £99 each, which gives its holders entrance to 32 attractions across the country.
“Our pass makes organising days out so simple and it provides real value for money. It takes the worry out of the cost and planning associated with a family day trip and it means you can say goodbye to grumpy and hello to just being seen as an awesome parent!”
So here’s the cranky chart – which long-suffering families can either use as warning list or simply to tick off the things which they know tick off dad.
- People leaving the lights on
- Traffic jams
- Bad drivers
- General bad manners
- Cold callers calling in the evening
- Football team losing
- Not spending time with family because of work
- X Factor
- Planning and cost of family activities
- The kids arguing
- The kids not helping with chores
- Always being asked for money and treated like an ATM
- The front or back door being left open
- Having the heating on too high
- The kids not eating their meal but then complaining they are hungry later on
- Reality TV shows
- Doors being slammed
- People stomping around the house
- Not being able to snooze on the sofa
- The kids not saying ‘please’ or ‘thank you’
- Being treated as a taxi driver
- Being told to do the chores
- Always being the one to do the bins and recycling
- Christmas decorations being put up too early
- The kids spending too much time on the internet
- EastEnders
- Kids playing music too loud
- The cost of petrol/travel
- Lego/other small toys being left lying around on the floor for you to stand on
- The kids watching too much TV
- Drum and Bass music
- Unexpected guests
- The television being too loud
- Having to do the washing up
- Strictly Come Dancing
- Geordie Shore
- Shoes being left by the front or back door
- The kids staying in bed too long
- Kim Kardashian
- Pop music
- Coronation Street
- Dance music
- Always getting socks for birthdays, Christmas or Father’s Day
- Having to do all the gardening
- The bathroom always being occupied when you want to use it
- The neighbour’s cat
- Having the TV on during a meal
- The kids recording every episode of The Simpsons/Friends etc and taking up all the space on the Sky+ box
- Having to wash the car
- Always being the one to take the dog for a walk
The Merlin Annual Pass sale runs until midnight Monday 15th February 2016. For more information please visit www.merlinannualpass.co.uk.
ENDS
