Modern mums admit they’re competitive when hosting coffee mornings, research has found. A new study shows mums go all out to impress their ‘friends’ when having them round for coffee, by splashing out on expensive biscuits, fresh coffee and cleaning the house from top to bottom.
Indeed, women are so intent on astonishing their friends with their amazing hosting skills, they forbid their children from playing with toys prior to event, while 36% of mums even ban the children from certain rooms to keep them spotless ahead of the gathering.
A third of mums will even buy and wear new clothes and make up in a bid to look like the domestic goddess in complete control.
Deneice Harwin from Philips Saeco, which commissioned the poll of 2,000 mums said:
”With TV shows like the Great British Bake Off, the UK has witnessed a boom in home entertaining and stay at home mums are hosting more coffee mornings than ever before.
”From having the latest kitchen gadgets to the best tasting cake, coffee with friends is now an event where mums feel they have to prove themselves – it’s a sign of whether they are coping or not.”
The report reveals that mums will spend almost three hours getting the house ready for a coffee morning, tidying away toys and going into a general cleaning frenzy.
Nine out of ten mums admit they go to an extra effort to make sure the house is completely spotless, and 52% will even shut off certain rooms to their guests if they are too messy.
Once the house is clean, mums will set about laying out flowers, new ornaments, photos and sometimes soft furnishings to give the place a welcoming feel.
66% of mums will buy freshly cut flowers, 28% will get in a new houseplant and 23% will set out the best crockery.
Once the house is in a perfect state mums will tend to the kitchen, making sure their guests are suitably impressed with their offerings of tea and coffee.
60% of mums will buy in ‘posh’ biscuits, 32% will attempt home-made cakes and 18% will even try to make some nice biscuits.
Ground coffee, herbals teas, fruit juices and fresh fruit are amongst others items mums will fill the cupboards with in preparation for ‘mum friends’ coming round.
On average, mums will spend an extra £12.39 on top of their usual weekly food bill on food and drink for each coffee morning.
The study also shows that 40% of mums admit there is always competition within their circle of friends when it comes to hosting coffee mornings, but 13% even admit that this competitiveness has led to a fall out in the circle.
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