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Don't' Buy Me Something, Thank Me, Say Mums - Survey

Wednesday 9 May 2012, 7:47AM

By Impact PR

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Kiwi mums say their sacrifices go unnoticed, they put their careers on hold for us and claim its “difficult” to be a mum, but all they want this Mother’s Day is a simple thank you - according to a new survey.

The independent survey, commissioned by Procter & Gamble (P&G) and conducted by independent research agency Ipsos, investigated the attitudes to Mother’s Day and parenting by 3000 respondents across 12 countries.

P&G, the company behind household brands like Gillette, Pantene, Oral-B, Vicks and Ambi Pur is in the business of making life easier for mums every day. The new survey is an extension of the P&G Thank You Mum campaign launched globally in April to celebrate and honour mums of London 2012 Olympians.

The Attitude to Gratitude survey found that 63% of Kiwi mums had sacrificed buying things for themselves and 49% of mums said they put their social life on hold to raise their children.

New Zealanders further illustrated their devotion to their kids by sacrificing their career advancement in order to raise them - 38% of respondents said this was true, while 24% said they had fewer opportunities at work because of their parental status.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of mums surveyed think it’s difficult to be a mum with nearly three quarters (74%) saying they appreciated their own mother more after having walked in her shoes!

Despite the effort mums put in to raising their children, it seems they have humble expectations when it came to acknowledgement. Nearly a third (32%) say just the words “thank you” this Mother’s Day was all they looked forward to.

And it seems their sacrifices have not gone unnoticed after all with two thirds (66%) of respondents saying their mothers deserve to be appreciated “every day with no special occasion required.”

Kiwi kids also thought that Mother’s Day was an important event in the annual calendar with more than 7 out of 10 (72%) respondents saying it was great while three out of 10 (30%) also reported spending Mother’s Day with their mums every year.

When it comes to the perfect gift, over half (56%) of respondents said that giving mum something they liked was the best gesture they’d ever made on Mother’s Day.

Over three quarters of respondents (76%) said they have a close relationship with their mum.  However, this was somewhat lower than the regional averages of the 12 countries surveyed (85%) and considerably lower than countries such as India and China where 96% reported having a close relationship to their mother. 

New Zealand children were also more aware of the role their mother’s had played in their lives with 75% saying they agreed their mothers had made many sacrifices for them. This was lower than the regional average of 86% but higher than those of the Japanese with just 43% acknowledging their mothers had made sacrifices for them.

Interestingly more than three quarters (77%) of Kiwi respondents said they were willing to make the same level of sacrifices as their mum had for their own children

When it comes to celebrity mothers, our favourite sporting mum is Dame Susan Devoy (25%), followed by Barbara Kendall (15%), Adine Wilson (7%) and Mandy Barker (4%).

Dame Susan Devoy, a four times World Squash Champion says she’s proud of the sacrifices she’s made for her children.

“Watching my four sons Julian 18, Alex 17, Josh 16 and Jamie 14 develop into fine young men fills me with enormous pride. As they get older and start to spread their wings they begin to realise the sacrifices we have made as mothers to give them every opportunity life has to offer. A hug, a kiss a simple ‘thank you’ and those cute handwritten cards is all it takes,” says Dame Susan

Olympic medal winner and mum of two, Barbara Kendall agrees a simple ‘thank you’ can make all the difference on Mother’s Day.

“I agree with those surveyed as part of the P&G Attitude to Gratitude study.  Being a mum is tough work, especially if you’re juggling work and family life. As mums we care for our children without any expectation of reward.  But a little thank you and a sweet smile makes it all worthwhile.  This Mother’s Day I’m looking forward to a big thank you hug from my children along with tea and toast in bed.”

According to respected psychologist Sara Chatwin, Mother’s Day is a great occasion to honour mothers and give them recognition for the amazing job they do.

“When we become parents no-gone gives us the ‘parenting bible’ to refer to in times of need and Mother’s Day just seems to represent a day that allows mums to know how well they’ve done. The survey even suggests that mums need very little more than a ‘thank-you”.

“Obviously Kiwi mums are doing something right, as 77% of people said they would be willing to make the same sacrifices for their children that their mother’s made for them! This speaks volumes of the wonderful role models that women are providing future generations.”


P&G spokesperson Alicia Gorken says the company was inspired by the survey results and has now launched a Thank You Mum campaign to help people find ways and means to thank their mums. By visiting www.facebook.com/PGAustraliaNewZealand browsers can create their own ‘Thank You Mum’ message by uploading personalised video or photographic content and a greeting.

Users will then be able to encourage friends and family to do the same, spreading the word to thank and celebrate all mums everywhere.

“We’re all active online these days and not all of us will be lucky enough to see our mums on Mother’s Day.  These P&G Thank You Mum video messages and e-cards are great ways to thank and celebrate your mum”, says Gorken

P&G serves as the Proud Sponsor of Mums through various initiatives including a 10-year sponsorship to support mums and families of athletes over five Olympic Games, the Thank You Mum campaign and other programs.

The P&G Family Home in London will serve mums and families of athletes during the London 2012 Olympic Games, by providing a haven to relax and be together and enjoy complimentary meals, viewing lounges, internet access and learn more about P&G brands and services.

 

Notes to editors

Survey methodology

3,000 respondents were surveyed across 12 countries: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The respondents were females in the 18-55 years age group, whose mums are still present or living. Information was collected using online and offline channels depending on the Internet penetration in the location. A questionnaire was administered through door-to-door house visits, and online. The study was carried out over January to February 2012


About P&G

P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.