Would it really be the most wonderful time of the year if moms weren’t making themselves crazy over every little detail to fill our lives with holiday magic? Nope, probably not. Mom is the one decking the halls, baking the treats, and ensuring everyone on the list — both naughty and nice — is taken care of well during the holiday season.
It's an exhausting job. Yet year after year, moms show up and make it happen. And CafeMom has the data to prove it. We recently ran a poll and discovered that moms are most definitely the default parent throughout all of the holiday season.
Need some shopping done? Ask good old mom.
According to our Momindex proprietary study, moms do 90% of the holiday shopping. And they are doing it for everyone on many people’s lists, not just their own. Kids need gifts for teachers, counselors, principals, and more. Moms take on 94% of shopping for school-related gifts.
And evidently, sometimes it's just easier to do the holiday shopping for their spouses too. Lots of people take them up on the offer; 70% of moms say they do the shopping for a partner. Not only that, but 42% of moms shop for themselves! As in, for their own gifts. So much for a surprise!
We also learned that moms want the thrill of actually watching a gift being opened: 66% of moms opt to gift something tangible instead of handing out gift cards.
Want the present wrapped? Say no more. A whopping 90% of our moms wrap the majority of the gifts.
Holidays would be a lot less festive without our moms.
She decks the halls with boughs of holly and spends hours painstakingly hanging ornaments on the tree and stockings on the mantle with care. It's undeniably a lot of extra work, but 78% of moms take charge of decorating anyway. Sure, it may be because no one else wants to take on the monumental task of creating a home full of holiday cheer, but moms also take on the job because only they can do it all just right.
And if the family decides against going crazy with tinsel and opts for traveling during the holidays instead, that doesn't mean a break for mom. That's because 84% of moms are coordinating all those travel details as well.
Don’t forget the holiday extras.
What holiday season would be complete without delicious treats to feed our bellies and our souls? If you want the best cookies, mom has you covered. Our poll showed that 89% of moms bake holiday cookies. Is there anything better than a freshly baked sugar cookie with sprinkles and frosting?
Of course, everyone also needs to see how the family has grown in the last year. Leave it to mom to send out the holiday photo cards: 43% of moms are licking and stamping those envelopes. And if your family makes charitable donations of time or money, 55% of moms say they handle that too.
Latina moms like to make things extra special.
There are so many family activities during the holiday season that it's hard to choose a favorite. One of the most fun family traditions that has emerged in the last few years is matching pajamas. They are everywhere. Turns out, 34% of Latina moms coordinate their families in matching jams, compared to 24% of moms in the general population.
And if you want a big holiday meal, look to a Latina mom to fill your belly. The poll concluded that 73% of Latina moms host a big holiday meal compared to 51% of general population moms.
This is all in addition to mom’s life outside of the holidays.
Let’s not forget that our moms are making all of this holiday cheer while still fulfilling all of their usual obligations. Moms are still driving in the carpool, doing laundry, fixing dinner, and changing diapers. And lest we forget that in addition to everything at home and all things holiday, 74% of our moms are working outside the home. It is just incredible.
A big shoutout to our moms for all that they do for us every other day of our lives but also for adding all of the extra magic this time of year. We love you, and the holidays wouldn’t be the same without you.
