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Kids Dish about the True Meaning of Christmas, Moms’ Roles in Pulling the Holidays Together and Hot Gifts on Their Wish Lists
by: ARA
(ARA) - Decorating, cooking, cleaning and more. When it comes to preparing for a picture perfect holiday season, there is one holiday elf that’s busy at work -- Mom. According to the KidzEyes Holiday Wish List and Habits survey, 64 percent of kids say that their moms bear the brunt of responsibility for making sure the Christmas season is bright versus a mere 1 percent who say dad does his fair share.

While the stress associated with the multitude of seasonal tasks could easily turn mothers into Grinches, 50 percent of kids say their moms handle the holidays like snow angels. Girls are a little tougher on mom with 52 percent claiming mom is a little crankier during the hustle of the holiday season (less than 50 percent of boys say so).

This year’s KidzEyes Holiday Wish List & Habits survey -- conducted annually by KidzEyes, a specialized youth market research division of C&R Research -- uncovers how (and if) families share holiday-related responsibilities, what’s hot and what’s not on kids’ wish lists this year, whether kids really believe in the jolly man in red and what they believe is the true meaning of Christmas.

“Our annual Holiday Wish List and Habits survey has become a recognized vehicle that gets at the heart of what kids are thinking about, doing and wishing for during the holidays,” said Robbin Jaklin, president, C&R Research. “The results provide a glimpse into what is undoubtedly kids’ favorite time of year.”

As the primary holiday gift buyer, what should moms be shopping for to give their little angels? It is certainly not clothes, which again appears at the very bottom of kids’ wish lists. Electronics continue to take the top spot (37 percent) followed by hard, cold cash (30 percent) and toys (21 percent). Boys tend to want electronics more than girls, helping to vault them to the top spot among kids.

This year kids have gift giving ideas of their own. When asked what they would give their parents if they could give them just one “big” gift, 45 percent said a vacation, 27 percent said house cleaning assistance, 16 percent said money and 12 percent said time off work. Here are some of the other things kids are saying about the holidays this year:

Holiday Hustle -- Mom versus Dad

* Where is Your Father? . . . According to the KidzEyes survey there is nothing on the family holiday to-do list that mom doesn’t do. Twenty-five percent of kids say their moms are responsible for buying the presents and decorating the house. According to kids, dad does not offer much of a helping hand with either holiday chore -- only 1 percent and 3 percent respectively.

* A Woman’s Work is Never Done . . . More than half (54 percent) of kids say that moms are the chief holiday cook. Only 4 percent say dad dons an apron. And, moms (47 percent) not dads (one percent) clean the house in preparation for the big day.

* It’s a Guy Thing . . . Dad’s domain seems to be the tree with nearly one-quarter of kids saying that putting up the tree is their dad’s main job. But, the truth is, dad puts his little elves to work as 50 percent of kids say it’s really a job the whole family shares.

* It’s a Family Affair . . . Eight out of 10 kids (87 percent) say that decorating the tree is a family tradition -- something they do together. Nearly two-thirds say the whole family pitches in when it comes to decking the halls.

* Shopping Styles -- Mom versus Dad . . . According to kids, 25 percent of dads shop for their wives the week before Christmas, while another 13 percent say their dads are scouring the stores on Christmas Eve. In sharp contrast, 55 percent of kids say their moms shop for their loving husbands a month before the big day, with only 5 percent who say that their moms wait until one week before Christmas. Less than a percent say their moms are out shopping frantically on Christmas Eve.

The True Meaning of Christmas

* Christmas Spirit . . . Even kids as young as 6 years old have a solid idea of the “true meaning of Christmas.” According to 70 percent of kids, the true meaning is celebrating the birth of Christ. Another 39 percent say it is being thankful and 37 percent say it is spending time with family. Surprisingly, only 13 percent say the true meaning is about receiving gifts.

* Charitable Hearts . . . Nearly half of kids think of others during the holidays; 48 percent say they would ask their parents to donate some of their allocated “gift” money to charity. Of all kids surveyed, girls between the ages of 6 and 8 are the most likely to give up their presents (60 percent -- 13 percent more than boys the same age). Gifts . . . What’s Hot and What’s Not

* Stop the Music! . . . Along with clothes (7 percent), kids don’t want to see music and videos (6 percent) in their heaping pile of gifts this year.

* Electronics are Tops . . . According to the survey, the best gifts are electronics (37 percent), with video game systems or handheld video games leading the category (57 percent). Those were closely followed by computers and software (53 percent), cellular telephones (38 percent), CD players (32 percent) and DVD players (31 percent).

* Boys and Machines . . . Fifty-three percent of boys age 6 to 11 want electronics versus only 18 percent of girls the same age. Conversely, girls that age wish for toys nearly twice as much as boys (39 percent versus 20 percent).

To request more information about KidzEyes call (800) KidzEyes (543-9393) or visit www.crresearch.com or www.kidzeyesomnibus.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content



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 Holiday Planning Tips For Busy Moms
 by: Aurelia M. Williams

Ahhh, the Holidays…… The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer is about to capture the shot… you wake up!

Let's be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the list goes on and on.

Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and instead filled with fun and laughter:

What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you've thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering you would like, you can then start making your plans.

If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:

Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.

Holiday Gifts: There's nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to succumb to "impulse buying" and go all out on your holiday shopping. While your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different song. Set a budget and stick to it – your bank account will thank you for it after the start of the New Year.

Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen as an extra timesaving measure

Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be overwhelmed.

Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.


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