Don’t get Load Rage this Summer holiday

It’s coming up to the school holidays and I have to say that whilst I am putting my best plans into place, I’m going to have those days where I simply have to work and the kids will be given the option of kindle, TV or toys. I can’t be in all places at once, and I’ve always talked about how I really encourage my children to safely embrace tech – not discourage it as so many suggest we should. It is the future, like it or not, and it would be ever so slightly hypocritical of me to say “you shouldn’t spend hours a day staring at a screen!” when it is what I do for a living…

That does pose a bit of a problem though… we have On Demand TV hooked up to the broadband, my computer actually runs connected to the internet 24/7 for various scheduling systems I have and I have my phone on me 24/7. Add into the mix 3 kindles, my mum’s kindle and phone, Google home, the two TVs upstairs, my kindle, and then when Adam is at home, his phone too… yeah, it’s pretty safe to say that we are a tech family who puts a similar strain on our broadband to that of a mum carrying a weeks’ worth of toddler STUFF.

With my work being dependent on my ability to have fast, reliable internet, it’s a bit stressful that we have become one of those UK families (and there are plenty) who have outgrown our current broadband connection – especially when the kids are at home on holiday. In a recent survey conducted by TalkTalk, it would seem we aren’t alone in that stress as one in five people said they would give up chocolate or alcohol for a whole year in exchange for a faster internet connection – I’m not sure I’m one of those 1 in 5, I feel like chocolate and wine have a fundamental role to play in the summer holidays, but I do get where those people are coming from. It’s as annoying as a stone in the shoe when you can’t get online properly – here are some of the most common broadband issues which are testing our patience according to the same survey I mentioned above:

o   20% have suffered calls cutting out at home due to slow broadband

o   19% have missed crucial parts/ endings of TV shows/ films           

o   17% have had video games interrupted

o   14% have missed key moment/s in other sporting match/event

o   13% have missed the last remaining size/ item/ tickets before getting through the checkout while internet shopping

It might not seem like a big drama, but losing the connection when you’re playing a game is pretty frustrating for a 6 year old, and it is genuinely damaging to lose my connection as a work-at-home parent whose business relies on the internet. There is nothing worse!

So, why did TalkTalk do this survey? Well, they have coined the term “load rage” as we are totally losing our  cool over our broadband connections – perhaps in a similar way to “road rage” (which I get… on the school run… oops!). TalkTalk want to let people know that they have heard the cries for faster, more reliable broadband and that Fibre Broadband is an option that gives you ‘toddler in a supermarket’ style speed. It is the smart choice for a busy house like ours because it uses the same cables as other providers but with a lower fee and is totally UNLIMITED. No more tweens shouting those words that you shouldn’t have said in front of them because they can’t stream a YouTube video, no more TV programmes freezing and making you want to hurl your nachos at the old box because you just wanted to put your feet up after a long, hard day of painting, crafting and nappy changing with toddlers. Just easy to use, efficient broadband… and if there is one thing I’ve learnt as a parent, efficiency is your friend.

To find out more about Fibre broadband head to talktalk.co.uk/fibre