Two-thirds (67%) of people who buy Christmas presents say they typically begin their shopping by the end of November, including 10% who start in October and 14% who start even earlier.
So when holiday plans fall apart at the last minute, it can be incredibly stressful. That’s exactly what happened to a single mother who goes by ClypoClimb online.
Recently, she turned to the internet to vent about her daughters’ father. He backed out of contributing to their presents, leaving her scrambling with too little money to fulfill the girls’ wishlists.
This single mother thinks she’s barely providing her daughters with everything they need
Worried mom sitting by Christmas tree, anxious after man changes mind on $400 per kid contribution promise.
Image credits: user25451090 (not the actual image)
And this year, Christmas only made her challenges feel even bigger
Parent worried as man changes mind on $400 Christmas contribution per kid, causing budget and holiday stress concerns.
Text excerpt showing a dad promised to contribute money per child for Christmas but later changed his mind causing mom to panic.
Man promises to contribute 400 dollars per kid for Christmas but changes his mind, leaving mom panicking about gifts.
Person sitting cross-legged on a rug playing a keyboard, illustrating a man’s promise to contribute $400 per kid for Christmas.
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
Text excerpt discussing budget concerns over Christmas gifts after man promises $400 per kid but changes mind.
List of Christmas gift requests including a vinyl player, Polaroid camera, beauty items, and expensive trainers.
Mother and daughter opening Christmas presents on bed, with concern over promised $400 contribution per kid changing.
Image credits:prostooleh (not the actual image)
Mom panicking after man promises $400 per kid for Christmas but changes his mind, causing stress and disappointment.
Image credits: ClypoClimb
Christmas stress hits parents the hardest
Christmas requires a lot of planning, organizing, and work, so it can cause quite a headache. But when plans fall apart at the last second, it’s even worse.
A YouGov survey found that in the United Kingdom (where the author of the post is from), 45% of people generally find Christmas to be a stressful experience, with 10% going as far as saying they find it “very” stressful.
However, this burden of stress is not evenly shared, with some groups feeling the strain more than others.
Parents, in particular, tend to have a harder time over the holidays. According to the survey, 52% of those with children under the age of 18 say they find Christmas stressful, compared to 42% of non-parents and parents whose children have already flown the nest.
Even among parents, stress levels are not evenly distributed. Mothers report feeling the burden more than fathers: six in ten moms (62%) say Christmas is a stressful time, including one in six (17%) who describe it as very stressful. By comparison, just 44% of dads report feeling stressed over the holidays.
And while one in six dads (16%) say their Christmases are typically not stressful at all, the same is true for only 6% of moms.
Christmas spending leaves a lot of parents feeling like they’ve failed
Wrapped Christmas presents with colorful bows under a tree, highlighting a man’s contribution promise for kids.
Image credits: Liza Springer / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Research from the UK has also found that nearly half (48%) of parents or carers felt they had failed their children because they couldn’t afford the gifts their children were hoping for last Christmas.
As a result, 68% of parents said they were leaning toward giving more practical presents — such as schoolbooks, clothes, or bedding — rather than “fun” gifts.
More than three in ten (31%) parents and carers were concerned that their children themselves were worried about the cost of Christmas and family finances. Meanwhile, over a quarter (28%) feared their children believed they had been “naughty” because they didn’t receive the gifts they wanted.
The mother provided more information about her predicament in the comments
Screenshot of a forum discussion about a man promising to contribute $400 per kid for Christmas then changing his mind.
Comments about man promising $400 per kid contribution for Christmas, then changing his mind, causing panic.
Man promises to contribute money per kid for Christmas but changes his mind, causing mom to panic in conversation.
Screenshot of an online conversation about a man promising to contribute $400 per kid for Christmas and a mom panicking.
Screenshot of online forum post showing a dad changes contribution from £300 to £100 per child, causing mom to panic.
Comment discussing a man promising to contribute money per kid for Christmas but changing his mind, causing mom to panic.
Screenshot of a forum post where a mom panics after a man changes his mind about contributing $400 per kid for Christmas gifts.
Comment expressing concern over dad changing promised $400 per kid contribution for Christmas to nothing, causing mom to panic.
Comment thread discussing a man who promised $400 per kid for Christmas but changed his mind, causing mom to panic.
Man promises $400 per kid for Christmas, then changes mind, leaving mom panicking in a text conversation.
Text post from MaybeMrs offering discount codes for skincare and bath products with £10 off plus postage.
Text post offering advice on managing tight finances and avoiding debt when a man promises $400 per kid for Christmas but changes his mind.
Comment discussing a man who changes his mind about contributing money per kid for Christmas, causing a mom to panic.
Commenter Therapee discussing concerns about £100 per child for Christmas and rising materialistic expectations.
Text post describing a Christmas memory, linked to a man promising $400 per kid for Christmas but changing his mind.
Text post from MarvellousMonsters advising parents to explain financial limits to children when promised contributions change.
Text post from UnbeatenMum advising to tell kids in advance and prioritize Christmas lists due to changes in contribution amount.
Text excerpt discussing budget adjustments after a man changes his contribution per kid for Christmas, causing panic.
User comment about Christmas pressure to give kids perfect gifts, related to $400 contribution promise change causing mom to panic.
Comment on a forum about a man promising to contribute money per kid for Christmas but changing his mind, causing mom to panic.
Text post from user FFSToEverythingSince2020 sharing tips on buying secondhand items and budgeting for teens.
Comment about man promising $400 per kid for Christmas but changing his mind, causing mom to panic.
Text excerpt showing a comment about money for kids at Christmas and the impact of contributing on family dynamics and gratitude.
Man promises to contribute $400 per kid for Christmas, then changes his mind causing mom to panic about holiday budget.
Text post from user ScaryM0nster discussing frustrations and advice on buying second-hand digital pianos or Polaroid cameras.
Comment text explaining a dad promising to contribute $400 per kid for Christmas but causing mom to panic after changing his mind.
Screenshot of a social media comment discussing a dad’s changed budget for contributing 400 per kid for Christmas gifts.
Commenter suggesting searching for rural village funds to help, relating to contribution change causing mom’s panic.
Comment urging honesty about reduced contribution after man promises $400 per kid for Christmas then changes his mind.
Comment about a man promising $400 per kid for Christmas, then changing his mind, causing mom to panic.
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