Rita Simons on Gateway 97.8

Nearly a third of UK parents feel the October half term holiday is their biggest challenge, battling to find activities to fill the day (34%), making the school breaks the most stressful times of the year for more than a quarter of mums and dads.

New research by Hollywood Bowl found parents are likely to hear their little darlings mutter the words ‘I’m bored’ an average of 21 times over the course of the week. But this doesn’t come as a surprise with around a third (30%) of parents agreeing the struggle is real when it comes to keeping their children entertained over the school holidays.

Londoners are the most organised this October, whilst those in Wales are taking more of a ‘go with the flow’ approach to activity planning. However, contrary to popular belief, it’s the men (21%) that are more prepared than their female counterparts (17%) with their plans signed and sealed before the kids have broken up from school.

Aston spoke to Rita Simons, actress, singer and 2018 I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here contestant to discuss the research and Rita also offered her top tips for preparing for half term.