Top places where parents hide gifts from their kids during the holidays

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

NEW RESEARCH CONFIRMS THAT PARENTS ARE ALL ABOUT THE HOLIDAY HYPE!

A POLL OF 2,000 U-S MILLENNIAL PARENTS FROM LOWE’S FOUND THAT MORE THAN HALF (55%) GET JUST AS EXCITED AS THEIR KIDS WHEN IT'S TIME TO UNWRAP GIFTS. 

BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE, THEY SAY, IS KEEPING THE JOY OF OPENING GIFTS ALIVE ON HOLIDAY MORNINGS FROM PERSISTENT, CURIOUS CHILDREN.

CONDUCTED BY TALKER RESEARCH, THE STUDY REVEALED THAT KIDS ASK THEIR PARENTS ABOUT THEIR GIFTS AN AVERAGE OF 51 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON. 

DATA SHOWS PARENTS ARE USING GIFTS AS A BRIBERY TOOL AN AVERAGE OF 39 TIMES DURING THE HOLIDAY MONTHS, WITH OVER HALF (56%) USING A HOLIDAY-RELATED CHARACTER (I.E., SANTA CLAUS, KRAMPUS, JACK FROST, ETC.) TO KEEP THEIR KID FROM SNOOPING FOR THEIR GIFTS.

A THIRD (34%) WILL EVEN LET THEIR KIDS FIND DECOY GIFTS TO THROW THEM OFF THE SCENT.

HOW ABOUT YOU? LOVE WATCHING YOUR KIDS UNWRAP THOSE GIFTS BUT STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEM A SECRET BEFOREHAND? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American millennial homeowners who are parents of children aged 3 to 15 who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Lowe's and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20, 2025. A link to the questionnaire can be found here.

To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research Process and Methodology page.