British families may be surprised to find out how much they are spending on kidditions – their children’s friends, or an extended family member, who stays over at their home from as little as once a month.
Despite cutting back on expenditure elsewhere, having a child’s friend over for just one or two nights a month, on average, is costing each British family a massive £24,587.37 a year.
The results were revealed by online family superstore Woolworths.co.uk, which commissioned the UK Family Study ahead of National Family Week 2011.
The study reveals that costs are accumulating from additional spend in areas such as out of home activities, food, days out, home entertainment and dining out to keep all involved entertained.
On average, families who have a kidditional child are spending £374.31 extra on groceries a year, £383.29 on additional home entertainment, £423.25 on days out, £423.25 on eating out and £444.86 on out of home activities to keep their children’s friends entertained.
Dan Rubel, brand director at Woolworths.co.uk, said: “While many families are trying to cut back on spending, some may not realise the amounts involved when entertaining their kids’ friends.
“But, with the cost of hosting just one kiddition, once a month, over the course a child’s school life being the equivalent to five luxury family holidays, parents simply need to think more creatively about what they are spending on when kidditions come to stay.
“What the results of this survey show is that friends are massively important to children as they grow and develop and in the current climate it’s about clever and cost effective ways to keep everyone amused.
“We’re seeing our customers look to buy products that have longevity - think old fashioned board games that can be played time and time again, family favourite DVDs, karaoke and arts and crafts projects where you can recycle household items.”
Family expert, Nichola Lashmar, editor of askamum.co.uk, commented: “It used to be mostly teenagers who would have friends to tea or sleepovers but children are socialising at much younger ages now and it all adds up. We take my six year old son's friends out all the time but his friends parents' do return the favour.”
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