How rampaging toddlers leave parents with £400 clean-up bill

DEALING with a rampaging toddler is not just tiring work – it’s expensive, too.

Research suggests that damage caused around the home by young children costs parents almost £400.

The survey of 2,000 households by Direct Line Home Insurance found that, on average, children between seven months and three years old cause destruction costing £389. For some 573,000 families the damage resulted in bills of more than £1,000.

The most common problems are ruined paintwork and wallpaper, suffered by 48 per cent of parents, followed closely by soiled furnishings (44 per cent). Just over a quarter (26 per cent) saw damage to tablets and mobile phones. Some 70 per cent of parents said their toddler had hurt themselves at home in the last year.

Dan Simson, head of home insurance at Direct Line, called on parents to baby-proof their properties. He said the ‘inexpensive’ precautions cost an average cost of £137.