Grandparents get short end of present stick at Christmas

Grandparents across the world may be feeling a bit worse for wear this Christmas after a new survey revealed they will receive the fewest presents throughout the festive season.

While they regularly shower their own grandkids and kids with gifts come Christmas day, it seems the favour isn’t returned for most who only get a fraction of the number of gifts left for them under the tree.

While neither grandfathers nor grandmothers fared well, it’s the poppas who really lost out in the Barclays survey of 2,000 people, which found even the family pet will get more presents than they do. 

According to the research, grandpas will average only 1.84 presents at Christmas compared to grandmas who can expect to receive 1.94, while beloved dogs and cats will get about 1.91 presents each.

While some grandpas may feel ripped off in the present department, 2GB host Ray Hadley claimed 1.84 presents is a reasonable amount when discussing the matter on his radio program on Tuesday. 

“I’ve in fact instructed my children that I don’t want a present,” the radio presenter said on his show on Tuesday.

“I’ve got enough hankies and socks to last me for a lifetime.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the eldest child in the family is the luckiest of them all with an average of 5.45 presents each, throwing the theory that the youngest child is the most spoilt right out the window.

The youngest siblings will most likely receive slightly less gifts than their older brothers and sisters with an average of 5.21 gifts each compared to the poor middle child who will be gifted 4.44 presents.

While the numbers may seem low to some, kids these days are apparently getting far more presents than they would have received 60 years ago, with 78 per cent of Baby Boomers claiming children today get more presents than they did when they were young.

The survey also revealed many people in Britain tend to get a little carried away when it comes to present shopping, with the average person purchasing 27 presents for their family and friends. They aren’t cheap presents either with most spending £37 (AU $64) per gift.

As a result, a huge 68 per cent of participants admitted to worrying about their finances during the festive period.

To make sure you don’t go too over the top in the gift-giving department, Barclays community banking Managing Director Josie Chapman said it’s best to set a limit for presents.

“There are lots of things you can do to help yourself stay in control of your money simply from your mobile phone, from amending your ATM limits to turning off remote purchases when your gift buying is done,” she explained.

“These little tricks can help take away the temptation to spend without taking away your enjoyment of the festive season.”

What are your thoughts on the survey results? How many presents do you receive at Christmas?