8 in 10 parents reckon Christmas will lose its sparkle this year as they have no time or money to make things magical

A poll of 2,000 mums and dads found 86 per cent want to make the festive season feel special, but 32 per cent don’t think they can this year. Of those, 45 per cent claim they are too busy while 33 per cent are feeling pressure from work deadlines. To help bring the magic of Christmas back to life, a third anticipate taking more time off work, and 26 per cent will be putting in extra hours before the holidays to help build up some time in lieu. The research was commissioned by wilko as part of its Christmas campaign which highlights how the magic can in fact go further this year, even if it’s just through doing the small things that don’t break the bank or take lots of time. As part of this message, the home and garden retailer enlisted a Christmas-adoring family to become the stars and creative directors of its 2022 Christmas campaign. Festive family fun Michelle Kirkup, from the winning family, said: “Our entry was based on giving the gift of kindness at Christmas and we wanted to share how having a magical Christmas doesn’t have to mean piles of presents – it can be as simple as curling up in front of a favourite festive film with family. “It doesn’t really matter what age your children are, it’s just about finding ways to adapt over the years to bring the magic to life in different ways – whether that’s decorating the tree, making gingerbread men or just simply spending time together.” Research also found 48 per cent of those who want to make the festive holiday feel special this year enjoy making it memorable for their family, and 29 per cent want to improve on the last few years, which have been a bit of a let-down. As a result, 41 per cent of mums and dads who have plans to make this time of year different to any other expect to fill their weekends with activities. Among their favourite ways to make the festive season memorable with their youngsters are curling up in front of a festive film (61 per cent), decorating the tree (45 per cent) and leaving a mince pie and carrot out for Santa and Rudolf (43 per cent). The study, conducted via OnePoll, also found seven-years-old to be the age Christmas is most magical for youngsters, while 69 per cent of parents celebrate this time of year more so now compared to before they had children. In fact, 48 per cent think things will be better this year as their children are another year older and have a better understanding of what the festive period is all about. Top 10 things parents like to do with their family at Christmas 1. Watch a Christmas film together 2. Decorating the tree 3. Leaving out a mince pie and carrot for Santa and Rudolf 4. Listening to Christmas songs 5. Putting up other Christmas decorations 6. Writing/making Christmas cards 7. Make gingerbread men/houses together 8. Wrapping presents together 9. Snuggling up under a blanket for a Christmas cuddle 10. Sharing a box of chocolates together