According to a recent MummyPages survey, the festive season is all about family, fun and, in many cases, financial stress.
With children frantically writing Christmas lists and scouring toy catalogues for inspiration, a staggering number of mums find themselves lying to their partner about the cost of their child's Christmas haul.
With 28% admitting they have fibbed to their partner, 27% revealing Christmas expenditure has caused arguments in the home and 20% disagreeing with their partner abouth the suitability of certain gifts, it's perhaps no surprise that 64% of parents in Ireland have chosen to set a Christmas budget in time for the festive season.
According to our survey, the average parent spends €254 per child at Christmas time, with 84% of mums in Ireland choosing to brave the Christmas crowds and shop in-store which is in stark comparison to our UK counterparts where just 28% of mums do the same.
It appears there is a common pattern among parents in Ireland to treat their child to one large gift, with a whopping 93% asserting that they purchase one main present and accompany that with a number of smaller presents.
With children becoming more and more tech-savvy with every passing day, it's unsurprising that the 'Digital and Gaming Device' category ranked first place among three age groups: 8-12 years, 13-16 years, and 17+. with traditional presents, such as books, board games and crafts, taking a back seat.
Further to this, our survey revealed that one-fifth of mums will buy a digital / gaming device for their child aged between four to seven years this Christmas.
However, it appears many parents face a quandary when presenting children with digital gifts at Christmas time, with 30% of mums asserting their child's screen-time is a cause for concern and 24% admitting they struggle to balance the time their child spends outdoors against online activity.
Commenting on the figures, MummyPages Mum-in-Residence, Laura Haugh, acknowledges the financial pressure placed on many families at this time of the year and urges parents to seek out resources which may be of benefit.
“Christmas is a costly time of year with families spending an average of €254 per child. Savvy parents can reduce this amount of money by taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday special offers which have already started in many retail outlets, in addition to buying some gifts second-hand.”
Highlighting the need for a change in perspective when it comes to the festive season, Laura continues: “Of course, managing your child's gift expectations is the key to not putting yourself under immense financial pressure. Children remember experiences more than the toys they receive at Christmas, so plan some fun days out with the family over the festive period and spent time together enjoying one another.”
Drawing down on a revealing statistic which emerged during the survey, Laura asserted: ““Our Christmas Shopping Habits research highlights one particularly concerning fact that only 10% of mums check to make sure gifts are age appropriate for their children."
"MummyPages urges mums to be more cautious as certain toys may pose as a possible choking hazard to smaller children. Also, for parents with older children, video games today are very graphic and may contain content unsuitable or children under 18 years of age.”
Laura acknowledges the difficulty in dividing a child's leisure time and suggests parents use the festive season to indulge in old-fashioned family fun, saying: “Although it can be harder to entertain children in winter time, we would urge mums to try other activities such as crafts, swimming and even baking to keep children entertained.."
The MummyPages.ie site is a great source of inspiration with lots of activity ideas for young and old children alike to keep them busy and having fun during the festive season.”
