Poor mammies are responsible for a whopping 24 jobs over the Christmas period, while dads get away with doing just five, a survey has revealed. Researchers found that mums take on everything from sorting gift lists and buying presents to decorating the tree and preparing Christmas dinner.
Wrapping presents, writing cards, buying in the festive food and drink and tidying up new toys on Christmas Day also fall into most mothers’ lap.
But in comparison, dads are only in charge of curving the turkey, pouring drinks for dinner guests, taking the rubbish out, setting up the children’s’ new toys and taking them out to ride new bikes.
Even the traditional ‘dad’ jobs of buying batteries, washing up after the Christmas dinner and picking out the Christmas tree are now more likely to be carried out by mums.
A spokesman for Battery Station, which commissioned the research, said:
”Christmas is always a busy time, but it seems mums are being left to take care of the majority of jobs.
”There are so many things which need to be taken care of even weeks before Christmas day, it’s a shame that mums are bearing the brunt.
”And even the jobs which were traditionally left to dad, like buying the batteries and washing up, are now being looked after by mum, on top of everything else she already does.
”If this is the case in your household, then it’s important to find ways of doing the jobs in the quickest and easiest way.
”Thanks to the internet, we can now do so many of the tasks to prepare for Christmas without even leaving the house with things like buying the presents, doing the food shop and even sending out Christmas cards.
The study, of 2,000 parents found that of the most common Christmas jobs, mums take care of 24 of them, leaving dads to worry about just five.
Almost one in ten men even admitted they do nothing at all and leave the entire Christmas preparation and organization to their other half.
Among the jobs mums take care of in the run up to Christmas were sitting down with the children to help write their Christmas wish list, as well as writing and delivering all of the family Christmas cards.
Deciding what to get and then buying the presents for their children, relatives and even their children’s friends, wrapping the gifts and delivering them are also left to mum.
Busy mums are also responsible for making sure the school nativity costumes are ready, putting up the Christmas decorations, cleaning the house ready for Christmas visitors and doing the big Christmas food, drink and battery shop.
And mums still don’t get to put their feet up when everything is in place, as even on Christmas Day, mums take care of cooking and preparing the dinner and even wash and tidy up afterwards.
While mum is busy running around, Dad simply carves the turkey and keeps everyone’s drinks topped up before taking the rubbish outside at the end of the day.
They are also responsible for getting the children’s presents out of boxes and setting them up, as well as taking the kids out to play with new bikes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also found that 45% of couples have argued about the allocation of Christmas chores.
Almost six in ten of those have rowed about one party not doing their fair share, while 46% have also had crossed words after one of them forgot to do or get something.
Six in ten women also said they wish their other half did more to help out around Christmas, with 55% of men admitting they should try to do more.
It also emerged that many men and women look after the same jobs each year, with 41% saying they always leave the same tasks to partner, while they take care of their own jobs.
MUM’S CHRISTMAS JOBS
Helping/encouraging children to write their Christmas wish lists
Buying Christmas presents for the children
Buying Christmas presents for children’s friends
Buying Christmas presents for relatives
Wrapping Christmas presents
Buying Christmas cards
Writing Christmas cards
Sending/delivering Christmas cards
Sending/delivering Christmas presents
Making sure the children have their school nativity costume
Picking out/buying the Christmas tree
Decorating the Christmas tree
Decorating the house
Doing the big Christmas food and drink shop
Buying batteries for the children’s presents
Buying the turkey
Cleaning the house to prepare for festive visitors
Arranging family visits
Peeling the vegetables
Preparing the turkey
Cooking the turkey
Washing up
Clearing away the wrapping paper etc after presents have been opened
Tidying away all the new toys
DAD’S CHRISTMAS JOBS
Carving the turkey
Pouring drinks during dinner
Putting the rubbish outside
Getting the children’s toys out the boxes and set up to play
Taking the children out to ride their new bikes/play with outside toys
