Study: Children's Day – How Families Celebrate 2018

On October 12th, it's once again their day – Children's Day. But how do families and their children celebrate this date in Brazil in 2018? How important is it for those involved, how do they feel, and what influences the choice of gifts?

To answer all these questions, Trocando Fraldas conducted a survey with more than 16,000 people on its website between September 16th and 21st through a questionnaire. Participants answered voluntarily, indicating age, place of residence, and family situation, which made it possible to compare by region and state.

Questions

The following questions were asked:

  • Do you feel guilty for working and not being able to give your child as much attention as you think necessary?
  • Does your child ask for gifts on Children's Day?
  • Do you have the financial means to buy exactly what they want?
  • What most influences your child's consumer dreams?
  • How is Children's Day celebrated in your family?
  • 6. In your family, do you usually donate gifts to underprivileged children on this date?

Results

For comparison between groups, regions, and states, affirmative answers were also converted into numbers, with "yes" being 1 and "no" being 0. The results were used to calculate percentage indexes.

Feelings of Guilt

  • 3 out of 7 mothers and fathers feel guilty for not being able to give their children the attention they need on this date due to work, for example
  • This feeling is independent of parents' age when they have young children
  • Although there are no regional differences, there are divergences between states
  • While 55% of parents from Sergipe and 49% from Amazonas feel guilty, only 30% in Pará and 36% in Paraíba share the feeling
  • 2 out of 3 parents in Palmas and 3 out of 5 in Macapá would like to spend more time with their children on Children's Day
  • In Teresina, parents have more time to spend with their children

Feelings of guilt
for lack of attention

Gift Requests

  • 61% of children ask for gifts for Children's Day
  • Among younger parents aged 18 to 24, only half of the children ask for gifts, while among older parents the percentage varies between 65% and 68%
  • In the South region, only 58% ask for gifts
  • The lowest rate of gift requests is seen in Tocantins, Espírito Santo, and Santa Catarina, where about half the children ask their parents for gifts
  • In Piauí (74%), Roraima (72%), and Mato Grosso do Sul (67%), children are more demanding
  • In Brasília, only 53% of children ask for gifts on their day, while in Salvador 71% do the same
Gift Request Ranking by State
1.Piauí
2.Roraima
3.Mato Grosso do Sul
4.Rio de Janeiro
5.Amazonas
6.Rondônia
7.Ceará
8.Alagoas
9.Goiás
10.Acre
11.Bahia
12.São Paulo
13.Rio Grande do Sul
14.Sergipe
15.Pará
16.Rio Grande do Norte
17.Minas Gerais
18.Mato Grosso
19.Paraíba
20.Paraná
21.Maranhão
22.Pernambuco
23.Amapá
24.Federal District
25.Santa Catarina
26.Espírito Santo
27.Tocantins

Ability to Buy Gifts

  • Only 4 out of 9 mothers and fathers are able to provide the gifts their children want, regardless of age
  • In the South and North, 47% are able to fulfill their children's wishes, and only 43% in the Midwest
  • Children in Acre, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Pernambuco will be the happiest because they will get more of what they want
  • Children of parents from Piauí, Tocantins, Rondônia, or Ceará will have to settle for other gifts
  • 49% of parents in Rio de Janeiro and 46% in São Paulo can buy the desired gifts

Influences on Wishes

  • The internet most influences gift wishes for Children's Day 2018 with 36%, followed by television with 27%
  • The older the parents and their children, the more important the internet becomes, reaching 46% among parents aged 40 to 44
  • Friends have a consistent influence of 7 to 10% in all age groups
  • The opinions of relatives lose importance as the parents' age increases, from 9% among those aged 18 to 24 to only 3% over 40 years old
  • Other new influences on requests are more common among younger parents up to 24 years old, with 29% equaling the importance of the internet and television

What most influences
your child's
consumer dreams
?

How the Day is Celebrated

  • More than a quarter of Brazilian families do not celebrate Children's Day, a growing trend among younger people
  • The others divide their time between gift shopping, outdoor outings, or simply getting together as a family
  • The older the children, the more likely families are to go out or get together
  • Families with children of their own spend more time out (29%) than those without young children (17%)
  • 33% of people who do not have children of their own do not celebrate the date at all, while only 14% of parents with children skip it

How is
Children's Day
celebrated in your family?

Donations to Underprivileged Children

  • 1 in every 3 people donates gifts to underprivileged children on Children's Day, regardless of whether they have children themselves
  • Generosity increases as people age
  • In the North region, charity is common for 36% of people, and in the Midwest, only 29% of cases
  • In Acre, Amazonas, and Amapá, more than 40% donate gifts to those in need, while in Espírito Santo (23%), Mato Grosso do Sul, and the Federal District (both at 27%) generosity is lower
  • 35% of people in Fortaleza, São Paulo, and Salvador donate gifts, in between Maceió (47%) and Porto Velho (20%)