Research finds Millions of kids have NEVER received a good present from their grandparents
Millions of kids have NEVER received a good present from their grandparents, a study has found.
A poll of 1,700 children aged 6 to 15 revealed one in nine reckon they have always been handed a duff gift from Nan or Granddad, with one seven-year-old being given aftershave.
And another boy’s grandparents committed the ultimate blunder – buying their grandson a Fulham football top when he supports Newcastle.
Other dodgy gifts included Speedos, hand-knitted pyjamas and a singing fish.
The study, commissioned by SunLife, also found one third of children have received a ‘bad’ Christmas present from their grandparents.
Grandparents are most likely to make a mistake when buying clothes with more than half of those complaining about tacky Christmas jumpers, dress-up outfits they didn’t want or clothes which didn’t fit.
While almost one quarter said their ‘bad gift’ was inappropriate for their age, with a 12-year-old receiving bath toys and a six-year-old getting a baby’s ‘life-the-flap’ book.
One in seven simply said the presents were boring, with uninspiring gifts from grandparents including a golf towel, a paperweight and tomato seeds with a bag of soil.
One child was left disappointed after receiving a maths book, while another was disgruntled by the gift of a toothbrush.
And some were left with weird gifts such as a cat ornament, a tray, a tie, an alpaca bag and fake hair.
Other children were presented with food that was either past its sell by date or just disgusting, including out of date biscuits and chocolates with a dead fly in the box.
However, while some grandparents buy their grandchildren inappropriate presents, most do get it right.
Two thirds of kids think grandparents are good at buying presents and more than three quarters look forward to receiving gifts from them on Christmas Day.
One lucky child was even given a trip to Disneyworld.
Ian Atkinson, Marketing Director at SunLife said: “Kids can be tricky to buy for; trends and fashions change so much that it’s hard to keep up.
“Lots of parents struggle to get it right, so it can be even more difficult for grandparents.
“But we know grandkids love receiving presents from their grandparents and we know grandparents love giving them, so to help keep everyone happy this year, we asked kids what they would like for Christmas and complied the ultimate failsafe Grandchildren’s Christmas Gift Guide.
“It includes the top choices split by budget, age and gender so that grandparents can get something their grandkids will really enjoy this Christmas.”
Top 10 gifts for boys:
1. LEGO
2. Computer games
3. Gadgets
4. Board games
5. Mobile phone
6. Tablet
7. Computer game system such as Xbox or PS4
8. Nerf guns
9. Action figures
10. Science at home set such as make your own slime
Top 10 gifts for girls:
1. Board games
2. Jewellery/accessories
3. Make it yourself such as jewellery
4. Clothes/fashion
5. Science at home set such as make your own slime
6. Books
7. Mobile phone
8. Puzzles
9. Tablet
10. Sweets and chocolate