Sheffield parents are among the most stressed in Britain during school holidays

School holidays are supposed to be a fun and relaxing time for families – however new research has found that it’s the opposite, with some parents admitting to feeling stressed, anxious and exhausted.

The research, conducted by self-storage experts, Space Station, has revealed the top cities where parents have admitted to feeling the most stressed during school holidays.READ MORE: Five top tips to help you deal with stress

Leeds tops the list, with half of residents (49%) admitting to feeling stressed due to having to decide what activities to do with their children, finding childcare or the cost of paying for activities.

But Sheffield wasn’t too far behind, being named as the fifth worst city for stressed parents.

Among the factors that get mums and dads stressed are

The cost of activities

Thinking of activities to do

Arranging childcare

Spending time on technology is also a big worry for UK parents, with a quarter (24%) admitting that they are concerned that their children spend too much time on a screen during school holidays. To combat screen time, just under three in 10 (28%) parents feel that spending time outside is beneficial because their children spend time away from technology.

Arranging childcare is something that a quarter (25%) of UK parents worry about.

Top 10 cities who are the most stressed during the school holidays

Leeds - 49.3%

Cardiff - 41.8%

Glasgow - 40%

London - 36.2%

Sheffield - 34.6%

Manchester - 31.3%

Bristol - 30%

Nottingham - 29.9%

Southampton - 28.6%

Birmingham - 27.2%

To help combat the stresses parents can face when choosing activities, Space Station have put together a guide on how to create the ultimate cardboard fort - saving parents hundreds of pounds.

Space Station’s Vlatka Lake said: “School summer holidays are meant to be a time for families to have fun and relax together. However, due to the rising costs of out of school activities such as the cinema, theme parks and bowling alleys, parents are becoming more stressed and anxious.

“We wanted to explore an activity that the whole family can enjoy. It involves teamwork, problem solving and creativity. You just need a few old boxes and adhesive to create the cardboard fort and it’s destined to keep children occupied for weeks on end! It’s very much a ‘back to basics’ activity and will encourage children to spend some much-needed time away from technology and screens.”

To find out how to make the ultimate cardboard fort, please visit: https://www.space-station.co.uk/blog/how-to-build-the-ultimate-cardboard-fort