There’s no use crying over spilt milk… or hot chocolate… or tomato soup because when it comes to half-term holidays they go hand-in-hand with children accidents
We’re not quite one week into half-term yet, and most parents have two big questions—first, are you okay? And second, is your home surviving?
Spillages, breaks and temper tantrums are behind some of the biggest half-term accidents at home during the holidays, proving time off school is expensive.
Experts at Admiral Home Insurance have exposed kids’ most chaotic and pesky mishaps at home via its claims data – varying from tech dropped in the bath to VR headsets launched at TVs to putting screwdrivers in the tumble dryer.
Whilst most parents think it will never happen to them, the insurer saw nearly 2,000 claims linked to children causing accidents at home – with nearly four in five (78 per cent) of these involving expensive tech items.
The February half-term break is well and truly underway with many parents left managing excitable children bouncing around the home – some while still working from home.
New data from the insurer reveals that last year, the insurer received thousands of claims for accidental damage caused by kids – costing a fortune. The claims occurred as the result of numerous calamities, and breakages were the top reason for claiming, accounting for a quarter of claims.
15 per cent were caused by items being thrown by children, and 12 per cent of accidents were due to items slipping through little fingers.
Worryingly – and don’t tell dad – but a huge 78 per cent of these claims involved expensive tech items, with TVs by far the item most commonly damaged by children.
They were damaged in 48 per cent of all claims and accounted for 62 per cent of tech-related incidents. This was ahead of laptops (17 per cent) and phones (8 per cent) which made up the top three.
Damage during playtime accounted for 18 per cent of TV breakage, taken out by rogue flying toys thrown in the air – in one case, a plastic sword wielded overzealously in the direction of the screen. In dozens of instances, TVs were damaged by children playing with gaming tech, and the average cost of all claims involving gaming totalled close to £1,000. This includes damage by disorientated kids wearing VR headsets striking the television.
Newcastle upon Tyne is home to the top accident hotspot, but others weren’t far behind including Glasgow in second place, Sheffield in third, Cardiff in fourth and Birmingham taking the fifth spot.
Commonly repeated incidents such as drink spillages were across the board of homes in these locations, but some of the claims were a little different. On a couple of occasions, parents relaxing in the bath were joined by their children, who then accidentally dropped phones or tablets into the water.
Another incident involved a child playing with a Nerf gun which was fired at the TV accidently causing lines across the screen.
The most unusual claims, however, involved food and drinks favoured by families across the UK – this included a hot chocolate taking down a laptop, and tomato soup ruining upholstery and the TV remote.
Head of Household at Admiral, Noel Summerfield, reassures parents: “Any household with children can easily get a little messier during February half term, but some parents could also be dealing with unexpected damage.
“There are lots of factors that could contribute towards this: many parents will be at home while the kids are off school, so understandably, kids may also be handed tablets and phones to keep them occupied – explaining why so many incidents involve gadgets.
“Playtime is a natural part of half-term fun, whether that’s with friends or family, and accidents can occur. Luckily, contents insurance anticipates these kinds of mishaps and offers busy parents peace of mind.
