Parents give in to pester power

A generation of ‘mini-moaners’ are pestering their parents into buying them everything from toys to mobile phones, with parents making considerable cut-backs in order to afford what their kids want, according to new research from Engage Mutual.

Following recent reports that direct marketing is creating a generation of materialistic children, the research reveals the most moaned for childhood accessories, and the lengths parents go to buy them. 49 per cent of parents with children under 18 say that they have given in to their children’s pleading in the last 12 months – 68 per cent saying that they would make financial sacrifices in order to do so.

As part of its ongoing 3GB research into the how finances impact family relationships, Engage Mutual asked a GB representative sample of 2,000 adults about the costs of bringing up children.

The Sacrifices Parents Would Make

50 per cent said they would go without luxuries to give their children what they want;
31 per cent said they would go out less than they used to;
29 per cent would work longer hours to meet their kid’s demands; and
21 per cent of parents would go without a holiday to keep their offspring happy.

Poorer Parents Would Make the Most Sacrifices

With 44 per cent of parents with children under 18 saying that they can’t always afford what their children want or need, these parents are more likely to make sacrifices (81%). The most common sacrifice they would make was to go without luxuries (62%), whilst one in three said they would work extra hours, a similar proportion would not go out as much as they used to (36%). Parents who are struggling financially are also three times more likely than those who are better off to say they would save money by buying cheap food (33% compared to 11%).

Further Findings

15 per cent of mothers would go to work in order to give their children what they want when they could otherwise be a stay-at-home parent, compared to 9 per cent of men.

Parents with children aged 12 to 17 are the most likely to give into their wants. The most moaned for item that parents have given in to the most amongst children in this age range was a mobile phone (30%).

Karl Elliott, spokesperson for Engage Mutual commented: “With kids being spoilt for choice for toys, technology and games, many feel pressure from their peers to keep up with the latest gadgets and labels. In modern Britain, parents often find themselves caught up in a balance between giving their kids what they want and finding the money to pay. The research gives a new perspective into family finance with some children ‘wearing the trousers’ when it comes to family spending.

“Given current economic circumstances, it is likely that more parents will find it harder to make ends meet this year. We encourage all parents to try and strike a balance between spending on little goodies today and saving little and often so that they can afford the bigger items in the future.”