What parents do to make the holidays memorable

Two in three parents have pulled an all-nighter in the spirit of holiday magic.

That’s according to a new survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children that examined the lengths parents will go to make the holidays memorable for their kids and found 66% have stayed up the entire night in a bid to get everything done for the holidays.

And the late nights don’t stop there — the average parent estimates they will be staying up past midnight five times this holiday season trying to get all the preparation done. 

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of HP, results also showed that the preparation might be even more intense this year than in years past.

That’s because over three-quarters (77%) of parents feel pressure to make holidays better than last year.

Some extreme lengths participants said they have gone to in order to make the holidays stand out for their children include having someone get on the roof to recreate the sound of Santa’s boots, covering their floors with baby powder to showcase Santa’s footprints and tying fishing line to their elf doll to make it fly.

When it comes to inspiration, Facebook is the biggest source of pressure for parents to create holiday magic (37%), followed by TV (34%) and other family members (30%).

And it’s not easy with excitable youngsters constantly wondering what’s next. Almost half of parents (43%) said they’ve struggled to entertain their kids during the holidays with 50% admitting they tend to run out of ideas.

The results of the survey found that 13-year-olds are the hardest to keep entertained.

Christmas Eve was revealed to be the toughest winter day to keep their kids entertained, followed by Christmas Day itself.

“The holidays can feel overwhelming, but enjoying the little moments with your loved ones is what the winter season is all about,” said Brittany Jepsen of The House That Lars Built who worked with HP to create free Festivity Activity holiday printables. “From decorating the house to listening to your favorite holiday playlist together, finding ways to spend time together help build the memories that really matter.”

Eighty-six percent consider festive activities to be some of the best quality time they get with their family all year. The same number also said it’s more important during the holidays to get family time without the distraction of smartphones and tablets.

To get this family time — and keep their kids entertained, a third of parents (32%) print out paper crafts or decorations and 42% print out holiday last-minute decorations.

When not looking to occupy kids, parents are fending off some tough questions regarding old St. Nick. 

The most common questions kids ask are: Is Santa real? What if we don’t have a chimney? And, how does Santa deliver presents to all the kids in one night?

TOP 15 QUESTIONS KIDS ASK DURING THE HOLIDAYS

• Is Santa real?
• What if we don’t have a chimney?
• How does Santa deliver presents to all the kids in one night?
• How does Santa fit down the chimney?
• How does Santa know if I’ve been bad or good?
• What if I’m naughty? Will I still get gifts?

• How does Santa’s reindeer fly?
• Why don’t I see Santa?
• What do reindeer eat?
• Can Santa’s sleigh really fly?
• Why do some kids not believe in Santa?
• How many elves does Santa have?
• Do elves really exist?
• How do reindeer get to the North Pole?
• Can reindeer talk?

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of school-aged children (age 3-18); the survey was commissioned by HP and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 12 and Nov. 18, 2024.