Parents are under increasing pressure to splash the cash on their own children and other people's kids this Christmas. Lisa Salmon looks at what they're spending
AS THE big day looms and the rush for last-minute presents intensities, parents have yet again faced huge pressure to buy the best toys and gadgets for their excited youngsters this year.
And the best comes at a hefty price of course. In fact, new research has revealed that the average parents planned to spend as much as £275 on gifts for each of their children. Topping the gift list are a TV, a camera and a personalised football kit.
The study, by World Bicycle Relief UK, also revealed that 71 per cent of mothers in Britain and the north said they felt pressure to spend a lot of money, and 28 per cent added that they had exceeded their initial budget.
Jeremy Todd, chief executive of the parenting charity Family Lives, points out that companies have realised how powerful children are as consumers and many advertising campaigns proactively target children, which can really increase the pressure on mums and dads "Every season, especially Christmas, new toys and gadgets come on to the market and many children and young people want to get their hands on them. It can be difficult for parents to know how to respond to a child who wants everything," he says. "Although it doesn't feel like it at times, you as the parent are the most valuable resource for your child."
He stresses that any creative time parents spend with their children is worth more than anything that can be bought in a shop, and advises: "Even if you work, which leaves you with less time, think 'quality time' and do something you all enjoy."
He adds: "It can feel good to spoil your child with expensive gifts but cost is a great consideration for most parents, as is keeping limitations on how much you treat your children."
And it's not only their own children that parents have to buy for - separate research by the games and jigsaw manufacturer Orchard Toys has revealed parents will buy gifts for an average of 12 children, on top of their own offspring, this Christmas.
On average, they'll buy for four child relatives, four of their own friends' children and four of their children's friends this year - spending £188 in total.
In terms of 'spend etiquette', the research points to between £5 and £15 being the socially acceptable sum on each child outside the family, and up to £23 on related children, such as nieces, nephews and godchildren.
And it seems it's just as hard for parents to buy presents for other people's children as it is for their own - 40 per cent of parents admitted they found it difficult to choose, with games emerging as the fail-safe option.
The top gifts parents buy for other people's children are games, toys, books, arts and crafts, money, clothes and confectionery.
When quizzed on what types of gifts they most like their own children to receive at Christmas, educational toys were overwhelmingly preferred by almost three quarters of parents.
When it comes to deciding who to buy presents for and where to draw the line, it's a delicate balancing act.
More than 40 per cent of parents said they mutually agreed with other parents before swapping festive gifts.
Nearly a third just bought for children in their immediate family and godchildren, while a further 30 per cent admitted they only gave Christmas gifts to those who gave presents to their own children. Justine Roberts, chief executive of the parents' social networking site Mumsnet, says: "Christmas can really ramp up the pressure on parents who are already feeling the pinch. Factor in nieces, nephews and godchildren and the expense mounts rapidly. "Some families manage to focus on developing fun Christmas traditions rather than succumbing to pester power, and others go the home-made route to keep the costs down. "And luckily, lots of Mumsnet users are savvy about shopping around for the best prices, setting budgets and planning early to avoid a panic-splurge this week."