While the end of the school year can't come fast enough for some children, a third of the UK's parents will be forced to take seven days or more off work this summer to take care of the kids.

New research from Halifax has revealed that a fifth (19 per cent) of parents will need to take at least two weeks off work to cover childcare gaps, with many relying on grandparents to step in. Nearly half (44 per cent) have even considered asking their parents to move in with them.

This may not come as such a surprise to some, as just under a third (31 per cent) of grandparents already look after their grandchildren every week and almost one in 10 (nine per cent) on a daily basis.

Grandmas and grandpas are clocking up the miles to provide valuable childcare cover - commuting for an average on 2 hours 46 minutes each round trip, with those who provide weekly cover racking up nearly 143 hours a year.

The majority of grandparents (55%) live within 30 minutes of their children, while nearly a fifth (17%) are more than two hours away.

Andy Bickers, mortgages director, Halifax, said: "The school summer holidays mean parents often need extra childcare to cover the long break, and more than one in five parents will need to take at least two weeks off work due to a lack of childcare support.

"Grandparents are playing a vital role in supporting their own kids with childcare, and with many travelling nearly three hours a week to look after their grandchildren or moving house to be closer, it's not surprising that many parents have considered asking grandma and grandpa to move in."

The study revealed that pester power isn't only for younger children - as two-thirds of parents (67 per cent) admit to putting their parents under pressure to help look after their grandchildren.

Grandparents also feel some strain, as almost half (47 per cent) admit their children take it for granted that they'll help out with childcare.

Punchline says: "The school holidays are always a difficult time for working parents, torn between the need to work and wanting to spend time with their children. The extra leave to care for children can also put pressure on small businesses, which may not have capacity to cover for absent staff. It's great that grandparents can often pick up the slack, but should there be shorter holidays or more affordable childcare instead?"

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