Moms love coupons. Stats show that coupon and discount-themed blogs are among the most popular for women.

And no wonder. According to the USDA, a household of four spends between $524 and $1,014 per month on groceries, toiletries and cleaning supplies. As one way to manage those costs, couponing redemption increased 27% to 3.3 billion in 2009, and the total value of all CPG coupons distributed in the U.S. in 2010 reached $485 billion, up 13.9% from $426 billion the prior year.

Moms, do you regularly use coupons? Do you do so now more than in the past, and will you continue to do so once the economy improves? What kinds of products do you use coupons for?

According to a new study by the Kitchens Group, a public opinion research firm in Orlando, FL, more than half of Baby Boomer moms are still supporting their adult children financially and 60% are the go-to persons when their kids are having a problem. This contrasts dramatically with Boomers’ own experience:  86% of 46-65-year-old women reported being fully independent of their own parents by age 25.

Nine percent of  Baby Boomer women with offspring over the age of 18 reported having adult children living back home for an indefinite period.  Twelve percent were responsible for their adult child/children’s financial well being, and 31% said that they had children who returned home, relied on them, but expected to become independent.

Hmmm. CollegeBoy graduates next year. We shall see….

The reason: They don’t feel that they can support another child in the way that they would like.

I wondered: How has the recent state of the economy impacted the decision of American moms to have, or hold off on having, more children?

Your thoughts?

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At Child’s Play, we’ll be providing traditional media relations as well as social media support.

Welcome, StorkBrokers!

In a recent  Advertising Age article entitled “Time to Rethink Your Message: Now the Cart Belongs to Daddy,” the magazine takes a look at how the expanding role of today’s American father is shifting the way companies are marketing the consumer goods and services formerly considered “for mom only.”  Jack Neff writes:

“Through decades of media fragmentation, marketers of packaged goods and many other brands could take solace in one thing – at least they could count on their core consumers being moms and reach them through often narrowly targeted cable TV, print and digital media.  But a study by Yahoo finds that… dads in particular are taking up the shopping cart, with about six in 10 identifying themselves as their household’s decision maker on packaged goods, health, pet and clothing purchases.”

While the men’s perception is a tad off – the article goes on to state that “actual behavioral research of these shoppers shows a number more like 35%” – it does raise the question: what about dad?   With more men embracing additional responsibilities at home, not to mention the recent surge in the number of “stay-at-home-dads” pushing strollers around the city,  it’s no surprise that savvy companies are interested in reaching the new “modern day” dad. 

According to the article, brands such as Head & Shoulders and Huggies have already started running ads targeted specifically to men.  And online, marketing giant P&G has recently launched manofthehouse.com, an online destination for dads where they can find articles, blog posts and product news on topics ranging from “family & parenting” to “looking good” – subjects traditionally reserved for women’s magazines and mommy blogs.

At Child’s Play Communications, we’re dedicated to reaching moms with influence over the family’s purse strings.  We also have a longstanding Digital Dads program, for some of the very reasons outlined here.  

Moms, when it comes to purchasing everyday household goods, who wears the pants in your family these days?  Do you think it’s time for marketers to start paying more attention to dad?

Marketers, have you shifted your focus to include dads in your outreach?

The economy has only added to the stress, both because of kids’ concerns about their parents’ financial scenarios but also due to their own college debt — more are having to take out loans –  and their job prospects upon graduation.

The findings are ironic in their timing, in a way, given the uproar recently over how Dragon Moms pressure their kids to succeeed. Even without such pressure, our kids feel stress. 

We’ve been fortunate with our college-age son who, bless him, has one of those “up” personalities and rarely seems bothered by much of anything. But next year, upon graduation, he will be joining the ranks of those looking for a full-time job. He’s a step ahead in many ways, due to a series of internships and his particular academic focus — but, who knows? If his job search hits a dead end, how can he not feel stressed?

What do you do, as parents, to help your kids through stressful situations?

Earlier this month, Salary.com released the results of its 10th annual survey on the subject.

It found that stay-at-home moms should earn $117,856 and that mothers who also  work outside the home would earn an additional $71,860 above their regular salary for doing what they do as  moms. But the recession impacted the results, dragging those numbers down by 4% for stay-at-home mothers and 6% for working moms.

Furthermore, the survey found that moms rack up more than 96 hours a week of work when combining a full-time job, mom hours, and mom overtime — four hours more than last year, meaning everyone is working more, for less. 

The  salary figures were based on the time women spent on what were identified as the 10 most popular job functions of a mother. Salary.com established its figures by considering the market value for those tasks, which include laundry machine operator, janitor, van driver, computer operator, housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, chief executive officer, psychologist, and facilities manager.

The survey also found that moms are spending more time this year on tasks such as preparing meals, making sure the home stays in good repair, and shuttling the family to activities.

Just a generation ago – when my own child, CollegeBoy, was growing up — the stay-at-home dad (Mr. Mom as he was known then) was a true anomaly. Yet in 2009, a record 7.4% of fathers in married-couple families with children under 18 were home while their wives worked, according to unpublished Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article on this subject.

According to the story, stay-at-home dads “face a bigger stigma” among potential employers than stay-at-home moms. Dads who are attempting to return in the wake of the recession are feeling the impact big-time when competing for what positions exist, as it was primarily jobs held by men that were eliminated – leading to what some have labeled a “he –cession.”

How do you feel about dads leaving work to stay home with their kids? Do you feel that it’s only fair that dads take a turn – or do you feel it’s moms’ responsibility? When SHOULD it be the husband and not the wife who makes the move home? And do you think it’s acceptable for employers to think less of a man for taking time off to care for his kids – even if their logic is that as a result he is behind his peers on current industry knowledge, skills and contacts?

Most will buy school supplies, followed by apparel, footwear and electronics. 79% will buy a product because of its value, 45% because “it’s required.” 82% will shop at an office supply store, 42% at mass merchant/discount stores, 29% at chain stores and 20% at department stores.

What are your back-to-school shopping plans this year?

Do you think an abundant exposure to the princess philosophy affects girls’ views on earning money and supporting a family? What steps should be taken to assure that they are prepared if the full economic burden falls on their shoulders?

For more, see The Princess Problem.