SIX-WEEKS of school summer holidays can sometimes seem too long and leave many mums finding it hard to juggle life, work and childcare.

As the long break comes to an end next week, women in East Lancashire say they are keen to get the children back to school for some ‘peace and quiet.’

Annoying habits are among the many things that leave stressed-out mothers tearing out their hair as the summer holidays drag on, according to a recent study.

Cara Nelson, a mum of three girls from Accrington, said the holidays had been hard work and should be shortened.

She said: “It will be great to get them back to school because you are constantly looking for things for them to do to keep them busy.

“Back 40 years ago family life was completely different where generally only one parent worked.

"Today both parents work, not always out of wanting to, but out of necessity.

”It’s a nightmare keeping them occupied.”

According to the study, carried out by home improvement store B&Q, a quarter of youngsters find themselves being shuttled back and forth between their parents, grandparents and friends during the summer.

Nearly 80 per cent of those mums surveyed called for free holiday clubs for those parents who could not take time off work or afford to pay for childcare over the holidays.

Adele Berry,from Blackburn, said the pressure of being a mum could make women pick up on their family’s annoying habits when spending the whole summer together.

The 30-year-old said: “It annoys me when I feel like I haven’t done enough. If I take the girls out for the day they always ask what’s coming next.

"It can be frustrating because you spend so much money and they are still not satisfied.”

More than half of the women who took the survey said they were left to cope with the stress alone and around one third of mothers said they had difficulty coming up with exciting things to do.

Nearly three quarters blamed the Government for making it impossible for them to balance employment with looking after their children.

Heather Robinson, 41, from Blackburn, said she was ready for the school term to start as arguments between daughters Amber and Jodie were rife.

She said: ”It’s beginning to become hard work, definitely when the girls argue.

“We have had a bad summer and on a rainy day you can’t get them out of the house.”

Lisa Gardner, 37, a part-time teaching assistant and mum-of-three from Blackburn, added: "I am lucky to be able to look after my children in the holidays.

"But sometimes it does get hard work and they are ready to go back.

"I notice a difference with the children in the summer holidays. They start answering back and becoming bored."

Suzanne Taylor, from Padiham, has two children, Adam, eight, and three-year-old Jessica.

She said: “I hate cleaning up the toys.

"Although I am quite laid-back, it still annoys me and my husband probably gets stressed out even more than I do during the summer holidays.”