There’s nothing like seeing the joy on a kid’s face as they open their Christmas presents, but a new survey finds that making sure that happens isn’t always easy for parents.
A new Talker Research poll of 2,000 millennial parents, conducted on behalf of Lowe’s, finds that kids are so excited about getting gifts that they ask their parents about them an average of 51 times during the holiday season. But parents don’t want to spoil the surprise, so they’ll go to great lengths to make sure their curious children don’t ruin the magic of the holidays.
One way they do that is by hiding their kids’ gifts, which isn’t easy. The poll finds that 63% of parents actually disguise their kids’ gifts as something else to guard against snooping, while 34% use decoy gifts that will trick their kids if they are found.
As for the best hiding spots, closets are parents’ top choice (56%), followed by in their bedroom (54%), in their car (26%), in the basement (22%) and in the garage (20%).
Some parents get a bit more creative, using hiding spots like the home of a family member or friend (19%), the attic (15%), suitcases (13%), sheds (13%), at work (10%), inside appliances (8%) and even in the trash (4%).
Of course, hiding gifts can result in a holiday fail, with 55% of parents saying they’ve actually forgotten where they hid their kids’ gifts, only to find them once the holiday was over.