Oh dear dads, you make your kids cringe on holiday. Teenagers have voted dad the most embarrassing parent abroad, reveals Skyscanner. Twice as many youngsters claim their dad is worse than their mum with “dodgy dad dancing” (a bit like Ricky Gervais in TV‘s The Office, above) and an attempt to look cool!
The survey by the travel search site asked 1,000 under 16s about their holiday experiences with their parents and “dodgy dad dancing” was the most cringe-worthy moment with 22% of the vote. In a close second, one in five red-faced kids say their dad doesn’t act his age on holiday and 19% claim he tries to act “cool”, only to fail miserably.
Mums score a little better but still manage to mortify their kids abroad, with 14% of youngsters saying mum kissing dad in public embarrasses them the most. Bad dance moves also seem to be a shared trait, with 13% of kids left squirming at the sight of mum on the dance floor.
The survey also pinpoints the age at which British kids find their parents most embarrassing. The results reveal that just 30% are embarrassed by their mum and dad aged seven, with their humiliation gradually increasing from the early teens and peaking at the age of 14. Almost two-thirds (60%) of 14 year olds claim their parents “cramp their style” by treating them like a younger child.
Interestingly, girls are most embarrassed by their fathers, while boys voted overwhelmingly in favour of their mums.
The north and south divide across England proves to be as strong as ever, with northern dads and southern mothers named the most embarrassing. Dads from Yorkshire and Humberside have been voted the worst for not acting their ages, whilst South East mums are the worst for public displays of affection on holiday.
Skyscanner’s Mary Porter said: “When it comes to family holidays, dads have been officially named as the most embarrassing parent, with kids clearly looking to avoid any cringe-worthy dance floor moments with their parents.
“Our research has also found that kids get increasingly embarrassed by their parents as they get older. However, parents looking for a harmonious family break will no doubt welcome the news that the cringe factor reduces from 15 years of age.”
Dad’s most embarrassing holiday habits:
- Bad dancing 22%
- Doesn’t act his age 21%
- Failing to act ‘cool’ 19%
- Public displays of affection 18%
- Unfashionable clothing 13%
- Embarrassing swimwear 10%
- Embarrassing stories 9%
- Failing to speak foreign language 8%
- Speaking English loudly and slowly 6%
- Dressed child in unfashionable clothes 4%
