NEWS COPY
British children will be getting more than they’ve bargained for this Christmas - as generous parents plan to buy their entire wish list and MORE.
A study of 2,000 parents of 5-16-year-olds found the average child has asked for just nine presents but mums and dads intend to splash out on a minimum of 12.
More than a fifth said technology takes up the majority of their kid’s wish list and 43 per cent agreed these items are always the most expensive.
While the typical total of items on a child's list is £247, one single tech-themed gift is likely to come in at £202.
Other popular presents include console games, mobile phones and smart watches.
The study, commissioned by Alcatel, also found a tenth of kids are hoping for a gaming chair or smart speaker.
And children start asking for technology themed gifts - such as tablets, phones and TVs - from the age of seven.
William Paterson, from Alcatel, said: “It’s clear from the results tech gifts are sought after by all ages and this can be a big expense for parents, especially if they have more than one child asking for similar products.
“We believe technology should be accessible to all and if children are asking for tablets, or handsets at a young age, parents shouldn’t have to worry about breaking the bank.
“Alcatel thrives in offering great tech at great prices so people of all ages can enjoy a range of products.
“It’s interesting to see parents are buying more gifts than asked for, but spending less, showing that presents don’t have to be ridiculously expensive.”
The research also found three quarters of parents attempt to stick to a budget for their child’s presents, but 84 per cent admitted they have gone over this in previous years.
The single most expensive item British children have asked for costs £267, so it’s no wonder 49 per cent of mums and dads don’t buy everything on a list.
'It's too expensive' is the most common reason (63 per cent) parents give their kids when they don't get everything they've asked for, along with ‘Santa couldn’t find it’ (14 per cent) and ‘it was sold out’ (10 per cent).
According to three in five of those polled, wish lists get more expensive as their child gets older but 43 per cent agree their child asks for less gifts with age.
And almost a third of parents with more than one child admitted they do buy them joint presents.
But 38 per cent of mums and dads are confident their child understands the cost of presents and two in five believe the price of gifts shouldn’t affect the enjoyment of Christmas.
A further quarter of those polled via OnePoll said their child considers the cost of presents when writing their list.
More than half of kids today - 57 per cent - still handwrite lists, while four in 10 write a letter to Santa and sixth of modern youngsters will send screenshots of gifts they’d like.
A dedicated three and a half hours is spent putting a wish list together, while looking through two catalogues, browsing three websites and look in three shops.
ENDS
