According to a recent MummyPages survey, the festive season is all about family, fun and, in many cases, financial stress.
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also one of the most expensive meaning more than half of of families in the U.K feel compelled to set a budget, with 24% of mums surveyed admitting that they lie to their partner about the cost of the children's Christmas haul.
And with children frantically writing Christmas lists and scouring toy catalogues for inspiration, a staggering number of mums find themselves retreating from the Christmas crowds, choosing instead to do their festive purchasing online, with just 28% hitting the high street in time for the big day.
According to our survey, the average parent spends £195 per child at Christmas time, with figures suggesting there exists a correlation between online spending and budget restrictions.
In the seven highest spending regions where children get over £200 of gifts spent on them, five of those regions show lower than average percent of online shopping. Conversely, 4 out of 5 of the regions which spend less than £200 show a higher than average percentage of online shopping.
It appears that the festive spirit intensifies the further north you live, with average expenditure per child in the South East and South West standing at £158 and £168 in comparison to £207 in Scotland, £211 in Wales, £243 in East of England and £250 in Northern Ireland.
Bucking the trend, however, is the country's capital with figures showing an average expenditure of £211 per child.
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 20% of mums asserting their child's screen-time is a cause for concern and 25% admitting they struggle to balance the time their child spends outdoors against online activity.
Commenting on the figures, MummyPages Mum-in-Residence, Amanda McKnight, 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 £195 per child. It is important to remember managing your child's gift expectations is the key to not putting yourself under immense financial pressure.”
Highlighting the need for a change in perspective when it comes to the festive season, Amanda continues: “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, Amanda asserted: “Our Christmas Shopping Habits research highlights one particularly concerning fact that only 20% 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.”
Amanda 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.”
