Data: What parents really think about gifts
Our survey reveals that the tradition of gift-giving at children’s parties is a source of stress, financial strain and environmental concern for parents. AND, there’s a growing appetite for changing the status quo.
We surveyed parents of children between ages 0 and 11 to uncover what they really think about gifting at kid’s parties.
Here’s what they said:
There’s dread – and big concerns about clutter and plastic
- 40% dread the gifting aspect of children’s parties
- Only 9% love it, the rest are indifferent
The top concerns about gifts at their own kid’s parties were:
- Added clutter (80%)
- The amount of plastic being purchased (77%)
- Too many toys for one child (57%)
- The expense for other parents (39%)
Only 4% have no concerns.
But we gift anyway.
Despite the dread, and the concern about what’s coming into their own homes, gift-giving is still a deeply ingrained tradition.
- 81% of parents always buy gifts for other children’s parties
- And 74% usually purchase brand-new items
It seems that there’s a mismatch between how many people feel about their own children’s parties and what they do for others.
Do we parents all feel like we can’t turn up empty-handed, or with a second-hand plastic-free gift when that’s exactly what most people want?
Gifting culture causes financial strain for many
The social norm of gifting creates financial strain for parents, with 43% saying it stretches their budget or is unaffordable.
Most people (53%) spend £6-10 per gift, but 39% spend over £10.
With an average of 5 parties per year during primary school, and some reporting up to 20, the costs mount up for families.
The money spent and the number of (often unwanted) gifts in the UK is unreal.
We calculated that every year in the UK we buy around 20.4 million new gifts for children’s parties (for kids under 11).
At an average of £10 per gift -that’s £240 million spent on gifts…that the parents would rather don’t come and clutter up their homes.
In ONE year!
When you consider that most of these are likely to be a guess at what the child wants, and often plastic – the scale of potential waste is pretty terrifying.
Most parents are open to giving gift guidance
Parents are beginning to embrace different approaches.
- 22% already include gift guidelines on party invitations
- 53% say they’d consider doing so
The most popular ideas include encouraging second-hand gifts, books, or requesting no gifts.
It’s time to rethink party bags
Unsurprisingly, party bags are not popular with 68% of parents saying they dislike them and only 5% being positive.
We also had plenty of comments about scrapping them altogether, or at the least making them simpler and more sustainable (no plastic tat).
Summary
Parents don’t want others to waste money on a load of new gifts for their kids, which adds to clutter at home.
Plastic is not welcomed. Certainly not in party bags.
But, the norms of gifting are ingrained – and we feel obliged to give other people’s kids these gifts anyway 🙀
So what can we do to change that?
What can we do about it?
We need to open up the conversation and let others know that less is more, pre-loved, homemade, experiences, group gifts, a coin in a card or no gift at all are aboloutely fine.
We need to ditch the pressure and put the ‘turning up empty handed’ ettiquette in the bin.
Do we want materialistic children? Don’t think so.
Kid’s parties should be about creating memorable, joyful experiences.
Do you agree?
Together as parents, we can normalise a more affordable, sustainable gifting culture at children’s parties.
The Kid’s Party Pact is a first step. Find out more and Sign the Kids Party Pact.