The pressure on parents to have an Instagram-worthy Christmas

Gone are the days when kids circled their favorite toys in catalogs in hopes of getting what they wanted from Santa.

Instead, social media feat of taking There are now well-known catalogs – where influencers display the items they have purchased – that some parents say adds extra pressure to an already stressful time.

Parenting blogger Charlotte Harding said she found the cost of Christmas gifts this year “quite stressful”.

“As boys have grown up, gifts have become more expensive,” he said.

Charlotte said games consoles and concert tickets were the main items on the wish list, but it’s not just about gifts on the big day.

“The boys have asked for an advent calendar worth over £25, which honestly would be a Christmas present in itself. But that’s for before Christmas.”

She said she had also heard of young girls asking for beauty advent calendars costing hundreds of pounds.

Charlotte said social media plays a big role when kids make their Christmas lists, especially “young and young” influencers who advertise products.

“But kids don’t know how much these things cost … and parents are really starting to feel the pressure.”

But it’s not just Christmas gifts and presents that are expensive.

Social media trends like Elf on the Shelf and christmas eve boxesAlso the prices of attending events are increasing during the festive period.

“The latest trend I’ve seen is a plane and you go see Santa, and obviously it’s amazing,” said parent blogger Stephanie Handwell.

Stephanie Welsh is behind the blog Welsh mum Steph and has felt the pressure of societal trends in the past.

She said, “You’ve got the Polar Express, the Santa Experience and Afternoon Tea with Santa. I sometimes have to check myself and think about when I was a kid, I saw Santa once and It was still magical.”

“It was probably the things we did as a family that I really remember.”

He admitted that he has felt the pressure of social trends in the past.

“I’ve decided to keep my PR calendar small because it creates this expectation and I don’t like that because of how I feel as a parent,” she said.

Caitlin Acreman, who is behind the Hall at 4 Instagram page, has also reduced her Christmas-related content due to the cost of living crisis.

“You can still have a wonderful Christmas and make lots of memories in a budget-friendly way,” she said.

Caitlin said she loves seeing people celebrate Christmas events online, but believes “comparison is the thief of joy”.

“I love doing shows on my stories, there’s a person there, I’m a mom of two and I’m constantly looking for ways to be budget-friendly and save that money.

“I like coming there because people can relate to it a little better,” he said.

Katherine Johnson-Boyd, professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, said Christmas can be a complex period for many people and there can be added pressure to “be happy”.

“If you don’t have the ability to do that — like having a big Christmas meal with your family — it often makes people feel inadequate or lonely,” he said.

He said financial pressures can sometimes change people’s perceptions about the festive period.

Fiona Barnard, who runs the blog Life of a Crazy Mum, agrees that Christmas “can be a difficult time for people with mental health and financial problems”.

“Often, at Christmas all children want to do is spend time with their families and loved ones.

“Most of us work full time, some of us are single parents or only see our kids on the weekends.

“So when it comes to Christmas it’s not about leaving them with piles of presents or working in the kitchen for half a day where they don’t see us.”

He said we should “bring it back to basics” about Christmas.

“It’s about family. It’s about sharing time and sharing love, not sharing stuff full of money that we don’t have.”