Lauren LaCross

1 week ago | whattoexpect.com | Blake Bakkila |Lauren LaCross

As a pregnant mom, you might debate whether to pack an extra pair of pajamas or your own pillow for the delivery room, but there's one hospital bag item in particular that has parents-to-be divided: Is it okay to bring gaming consoles to the labor and delivery wing? "My [boyfriend] insists on bringing his PlayStation to the delivery room to play games when it's time for me to be admitted," wrote one What to Expect Community mom.

Nov 21, 2024 | whattoexpect.com | Caroline Picard |Lauren LaCross

On average, parents spend $173 on holiday gifts per each child. That doesn't really change based on age; even babies under 12 months old get a comparable amount of presents to kids ages 1 to 4. Gen Z moms spend more on kids' gifts than Millennial ones. Even though they make considerably less money, younger moms are willing to fork over more cash on holiday presents for their little ones. Moms with multiple kids spend about 18% less per child. Parents with only one child tend to have a bigger budget.

Nov 19, 2024 | whattoexpect.com | Blake Bakkila |Lauren LaCross

Christmas is officially the worst birthday, according to moms; 40% would prefer to avoid a December 25 birthday for their children. Leap Day followed closely behind, with 38% of moms not wanting a Leap Day baby. Gen Z moms are less likely than Millennials to want "birthday twins." More young moms want to avoid giving birth on a close family member's birthday (22% of Gen Z versus 7% of Millennials).

Aug 6, 2024 | whattoexpect.com | Jay Deitcher |Lauren LaCross |Leah Rocketto

If it seems like your calendar is filled with birthday parties lately, you’re not imagining things. July through September are the most popular months for birthdays, which means that you can count on tons of parties happening this time of year. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionNational Vital Statistics SystemSee All Sources [1] I know that between my three kids, my family will attend at least 10 celebrations this season.

Jul 30, 2024 | whattoexpect.com | Jay Deitcher |Lauren LaCross

Key findingsOn average, parents spend $314 on a child's birthday party; 1 in 5 spend more than $500. Plus, parties tend to get more expensive the older kids get. Most parties don't include the whole class. On average, nine kids attend. The most stressful part of hosting a child's birthday party is the clean-up, parents say. Getting people to RSVP (22%) was the second biggest headache. Everything adds up quickly when you are planning a kid's birthday party.