If you’re a mum, you’re probably up to your eyes in wrapping paper, mince pies and all things Christmas! And according to a new study, mums will spend on average 42 hours and 16 minutes getting everything ready for the big day – that’s the equivalent of almost two solid days of festive chores before they can sit down and enjoy it all!
Between now and Christmas Day, making cards and nativity costumes, wrapping presents and preparing food will see the average mum beavering away for almost two days! Researchers found that the biggest chunk of time is taking up with present buying, with a staggering 20 hours and 13 minutes spent visiting 42 different shops. The mammoth shopping spree will see mums then having to spend three hours and 50 minutes wrapping 39 different presents – phew!
Lisa Looker, a mum of one herself and spokesperson for HobbyCraft, which carried out the study of 3,000 people said: ‘’Mums tend to get left with the majority of the Christmas jobs, but the little tasks can soon add up in the days and weeks leading up to it. Rather than getting to enjoy the festive build-up, it seems they are working right up until the last minute to make sure the family has a great day. And shopping for everyone’s presents seems to take up the most of a mum’s time, which can mean a stressful few days trailing the busy shops to get everything they need.
"So getting other people to help out can be a great idea. Asking your partner to take care of some of the chores and making the most of your kid’s excitement by getting them to make their own gifts or decorations for the house can ease your load and also help to get everyone involved."
Time spent preparing for Christmas
- Shopping for presents – 20 hours and 13 mins
- Wrapping presents – 3 hours and 50 mins
- Writing cards – 1 hour and 54 mins
- Shopping for food -3 hours and 3 mins
- Making Christmas cakes and preparing food – 3 hours and 32 mins
- Making Nativity costumes etc – 2 hours and 14 mins
- Cleaning the house – 2 hours and 47 mins
- Decorating the house – 2 hours and 27 mins
- Making cards, gifts, decorations – 2 hours and 16 mins
TOTAL: 42 hours and 16 mins
But despite the huge to-do list in the build up to Christmas, more than a third of mums love it and reckon it helps them get into the festive spirit.
And to make it all a bit easier, 34% have delegated certain jobs to their other half, while another 33% get their children involved with writing their cards or wrapping presents. As well as helping them out, nine out of ten mums reckon their kids love helping out at Christmas time and say it helps to make the most of their excitement.
Lisa Looker for HobbyCraft added: ‘’Although everyone feels like it is a mad rush in the lead up to the big day, getting prepared by making cards and decorating the tree does however get us all in the festive spirit!”
Do you love preparing for Christmas, or does all that rushing around leave you all stressed out? Do you take it upon yourself to get absolutely everything ready for the big day, or do you round up the troops (aka your other half and/or kids) to help you out? Leave us a comment below, tell us on a Tweet or write on our Facebook wall!
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Picture kindly from here
