Dads are favourite for DIY advice
The survey, to coincide with Father’s Day found that on average dads spend two and a half days a month helping out or advising their adult children on a variety of practical issues.
DIY?- ask dad!
The most popular reason people call on their fathers is to help with DIY, with almost half (46%) of children asking for help with this. 42% get their father’s help with a home emergency and 40% get financial help or advice from their dads.
Whilst those aged 18-24 appear to be the most reliant on their fathers with around two thirds seeking help and advice on a broad range of topics, surprisingly around half of those aged 35-44 are still regularly turning to dad for help.
Even when their children reach their 50s, a third of fathers are still asked for help with DIY, money matters and home emergencies and one in five are asked for help with car maintenance.
It appears that younger generations are simply not as practical as their fathers as half of women (49%) and 43% of men get DIY help and 45% of women and 40% of men ring their dads for help in a home emergency.
Daddy's girls
The figures show that British women are true daddy’s girls as they are more likely than men to get help and advice from their dad. On average women get three days and men two days of help a month from their fathers. The most popular topic that women call on their fathers to help with is their finances, 43% of all women seek help with this compared to 36% of men.
Roger Ramsden, Chief Executive, Saga Services, commented: 'It seems that fathers up and down the country are regularly relied upon to give a helping hand. Of course dads are keen to help, but some are better at DIY than others, so for those trickier jobs that could have serious consequences if they go wrong it might be best to leave them to the experts!'
Agony dads?
Interestingly fathers are also a valued source of advice about relationships. A fifth (18%) said their dads had given them priceless advice on the opposite sex, with 23% of people from the North East agreeing.
One in three women (29%) felt the most important advice that their dads had given them was on finances, while 28% of men said the best advice they had from their dad was regarding work and careers.
Regional variations
When things go wrong on the road, again it is fathers that people turn to for help. A third (35%) of men and 42% of women get help with car maintenance and breakdown, People from Wales (45%) are the most likely to ask for help with motoring issues.
Of all the regions, Londoners are much more dependent on their fathers with half calling them for help with money matters, home emergencies and DIY problems and two fifths asking for help with car related problems.
Roger Ramsden concluded: “Perhaps if an emergency should arise on Father’s Day children will remember to give their dad a break and call out an expert. At the very least they should pop round to make their dad a well-earned cup of tea!”
**Research carried out by Populus on behalf of Saga amongst 2036 adults between 1st and 3rd June 2012