Celeb Mum Kate Ferdinand Joins Aptamil Follow On Milk Ready To Drink HACKVENT CAMPAIGN to help parents get ready for the Festive Season
Kate Ferdinand
Parents of children under five in the UK are set to spend an average of 8.3 hours and £343 planning the ‘perfect’ Christmas this year, a study has found.
According to new research by Aptamil Follow On Milk Ready to Drink and Onepoll, 67% of parents are more excited than ever for this year’s festivities and have an average of three festive-themed events already booked before the big day - including a trip to a Santa’s Grotto and a Christmas light switch-on.
Over a quarter (27%) of parents have already filled their weekends with plans in the lead up to Christmas, with an extra 70% admitting to going above and beyond to make it extra special for their children after last year’s washout.
In fact, 8 in 10 new parents are looking to go the extra festive mile in a bid to make their first Christmas with their baby a memorable one (78%).
While nearly half of parents (46%) will be stepping up to the plate and hosting loved ones at home, when it comes to mileage, over three-quarters (78%) will travel more than an hour away to visit friends and family.
In fact, three in five (60%) are likely to be on the go more in December than any other month of the year, with 42% of parents expecting to travel long-distances to make it to planned Christmas outings such as markets (51%) and pantomimes (28%).
The research was released ahead of Aptamil Follow On Milk Ready to Drink’s Hackvent campaign which features 24 clever hacks to make parents’ lives simpler and stress free, so they can spend more time making special memories with their children over the festive period.
The campaign lands against a backdrop of over half of mums and dads (52%) admitting that parenting is more complicated during the festive season, with 38% throwing the usual routine out of the window in a bid to get everything ready for the impending festivities. Nearly one in three (29%) admit they feel under a lot of pressure to make things perfect for their little ones.
And it seems to be hitting new parents the hardest, with a huge 40% admitting to feeling anxious and stressed (37%) in the busy lead up to Christmas Day.
Aptamil Follow On Milk Ready To Drink has partnered with TV personality and celebrity mum, Kate Ferdinand, to reveal the best tips, tricks and hacks to making Christmas as special as possible.
Kate said: “We’re really looking forward to celebrating this Christmas with all the children and we have so much planned to make it as magical as possible for all of us. I know it can feel a bit overwhelming though, when you’re always out and about and on the go, so I’m thrilled to be working with Aptamil Follow On Milk Ready to Drink to help parents get ready for the festive season.”
Julia Lowbridge, Head of Marketing for Aptamil Follow on Milk Ready to Drink said: “With three young children of my own, I know first-hand that getting ready for Christmas is an extremely busy time which can feel exciting but a little overwhelming. This is why Aptamil Follow on Milk Ready to Drink wanted to support busy parents this year with a series of hacks, which means more time to spend with loved ones, which we know is more important this year than ever before…”
The research also revealed parents will spend an average of 8.3 hours planning Christmas crafts and activities to enjoy with their children, whilst 63% of parents will plan festive outfits for their children up to four weeks in advance, including matching pyjamas for the whole family.
The increased number of festive activities will see parents go all out this year, with each on average parting with a total of £343 in the lead up to the big day. And it’s not just money they’re investing either, as four in ten (41%) revealed they spent upwards of an hour queueing for tickets and entry to festive activities.
A staggering 84% of parents are on the hunt for festive inspiration to get ready this Christmas, with 71% specifically on the lookout for time-saving solutions, alongside nifty tips, and tricks to enhance their festive flair and make it as special as possible (82%).
60% look to celebrities and Instagrammers for help, whilst half (51%) search online for hacks to make life easier at Christmas.
Don’t miss out on Aptamil’s Follow On Milk Ready To Drink HackVent tips and tricks for when you’re on the go with your little ones this festive season.
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