- Asda Money and Dr Tom Crawford of Oxford University unveil mathematical formula for a stress-free half-term following an analysis of children’s plane tantrum behaviours
- The new formula addresses the four main tantrum triggers and the most reported ways of managing them
- The formula comes as research shows 63% of parents admit they get anxious at the prospect of travelling on a plane with their kids
- To further help parents this half-term Asda Money has compiled a tantrum-free travel snack bundle, containing snacks proven to keep outbursts at bay
If there’s one thing all parents become well-acquainted with when raising kids, it’s tantrums. But when you’re trapped inside a plane with a screaming baby in your arms or a toddler misbehaving – a tantrum hits differently.
Asda Money has enlisted the help of Dr Tom Crawford of Oxford University to reveal the mathematical formula for a tantrum-free flight for parents travelling with young children – just in time for half term.
The formula comes as new research by Asda Money reveals children are most likely to have a tantrum 27 minutes and 48 seconds into a flight, with each tantrum lasting an average of 15 minutes and six seconds. To some, this can feel like a lifetime when trapped inside a plane with a screaming child and upwards of 200 people, with all eyes on you.
So much so that nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents admit to feeling anxious about the prospect of travelling with their children with a third stating they feel stressed (33%), embarrassed (20%) and anxious (15%) when their child does have an in-cabin wobbly.
The stress is so fear-inducing that British parents would rather go for lunch with their in-laws (26%), spend two hours stuck alone during a commute (19%), or deal with the anxiety that comes with a starting a new job (18%) than take a plane ride with their brood. One in eight (12%) parents even confessed that they’d rather go through a break-up.
The research also revealed that 35% of parents have opted for a less convenient mode of transport like a bus, ferry, train, or boat to specifically avoid being in this stressful moment. But parents looking for last-minute winter sun this half term aren’t blessed with a suite of transportation options.
Dr Tom Crawford’s formula provides a method to calculate the amount of time (T) until a tantrum is expected to occur during a flight to delay it, so it doesn’t happen mid-air. It takes into consideration the most reported ways of managing an outburst to prevent a tantrum for the duration of an average short haul flight to Europe from the UK.
