Young adults are among the most likely to use technology to express their feelings to their mum

Doting sons and daughters will say ‘I love you’ to their mum 12 times a month, research has found.

A study of 2,000 adults revealed that during the average month, mums will hear the words from their offspring face-to face five times and a further three times over text.

Two WhatsApp messages to mum will be signed off with ‘I Love You’ each month while social media and greetings cards will also see the phrase come up twice.

It also found young adults are among the most likely to use technology to express their feelings to their mum, with 38 per cent of 18-34-year-olds saying ‘I love you’ through WhatsApp and another 29 per cent using social media.

But 15 per cent of adults admit they NEVER say the ‘three little words’ and 14 per cent don’t tell their mum they love them in person.

Another four in 10 don’t feel they tell their mum they love her as much as they should.

The stats emerged in a study by PizzaExpress, which has launched a new emotive video showing kids surprising their mums by telling them how they feel face-to-face.

It comes as, six in ten think they should share their feelings with their mum more often.

And women are more likely to feel they don’t tell mum how special she is in person (51%), while just 41 per cent of men feel the same way.

Forty-five per cent of adults wish they said I love you to their mum in person more often while 35 per cent would like to say thank-you to their face more than they already do.

Others would like to say ‘you’re the best mum in the world’, ask for a hug or say sorry.

But while almost a quarter of women wish they asked for more hugs from mum, men are not so bothered with just 14 per cent admitting they could do with a hug.

The study, carried out via OnePoll.com, found 58 per cent admit to taking their mum for granted, with the average adult being at their most ungrateful as a teenager.

More than a quarter believe they took their mum for granted while they were between the ages of 13 and 16.

Timothy Love, from PizzaExpress, said: “This Mother’s Day we wanted to encourage people to really show mum how much she means to them.

“We don’t spend enough time sharing the things we enjoy with our loved ones and we rarely take the time to tell mum face-to-face just how special she is.

“Our film will hopefully inspire people to make this a very special Mother’s Day and what better way to celebrate, than over a pizza?”

 

The survey also reveals the things we wished we said to our mums more often:

1. I love you (45%)

2. Thank you (35%)

3. You’re the best mum in the world (25%)

4. Can I have a hug (19%)

5. I’m sorry (18%)