More food on the table
A new survey has revealed that over a third of parents are not wanting to spend the usual fortune on excessive Christmas presents this year.
Instead they are spending their money more wisely on food, drink and decorations in a desperate attempt to avoid debt and revive the Christmas spirit.
There are some that believe that the original Christmas message is being lost in a sea of wrapping paper, packaging and tinsel, with the next generation losing that all important festive cheer.
Some believe the original Christmas message is being lost in a sea of wrapping paper, packaging and tinsel, with the next generation losing that all important festive cheer.
These fears may be justified as the survey commissioned by KidStart say that an incredible £830,000 was spent on 'Mega Monday' 6 December online in one minute by Brits doing their Christmas shopping.
This has fuelled debates as to whether overspending and spoiling children with the latest of everything from all-singing-all-dancing talking dolls to the ever evolving games console is seeing fewer kids appreciate this special time of year.
Eileen Hayes, KidStart spokesperson and child psychologist disagrees: "Children really do value getting to spend extra quality time with their parents over the festive period, especially if they are used to them working long hours throughout the rest of the year."
Christmas excess may also become a thing of the past as increasing numbers of parents are reluctant to be paying off their credits card well into the new year due to overspending.
Instead, one idea being encouraged this year is to be selective, only buying a few presents that children want and will appreciate rather than the sacks upon sacks that are more often than not broken or forgotten by New Years Day.
This ticks all the boxes: The kids are happy, you have more money in your pocket and there is less junk to be cleared away in the post Christmas Day hype, when the decorations come down and we're all feeling a little low.
In light of children wanting spend time with their parents there are some great ideas for getting the kids into the Christmas spirit.
Clare Scott Dryden from KidStart commented to a source: "We're seeing some really innovative, thrifty ideas come through which will not only help parents save money but also offer some fun ways to enjoy of festive family fun."
One website called saveforukkids encourages parents to find ways to save money and share their ideas in their forum. Not only can parents get handy hints on what they can do with their children as the school holidays approach, but it lends other parents advice if they want to save as much as possible.
With the current uphill economic slog and university tuition fees set to soar - this could be the perfect time to tighten those purse strings, think about what is important and start putting a little something aside for kids and say Merry Christmas with a future place at University, and if all else fails, there's always next year!
FemaleFirst Jenna Fordie