Christmas Chaos: Almost 1 in 3 Parents Lose Track of Their Children in Shopping Areas

The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year. For families, it’s filled with decorating, shopping for gifts and festive outfits, and travelling to visit friends, relatives, or holiday destinations. Amid all this chaos, some parents may find themselves in the shoes of Kevin’s parents, infamous characters from the classic holiday movie ‘Home Alone’, and lose track of their kids or even leave them behind.

With that in mind, Findmykids, an app designed to help parents keep their children safe through location tracking, surveyed 722 parents in the UK and the US in the first half of December to see how they handle parenting during the Christmas season.

The team asked parents:

• Whether they had ever lost sight of their children during this period, and where it happened
• Whether they had ever left their child or children at home while running errands or finishing work before the holidays
• Whether a child who stayed home alone ever encountered any problems
• What factors make it usually more difficult to monitor children during the Christmas period
• Whether a child who wandered off ever faced a safety issue or struggled to follow rules during the holidays

The survey results show that parents frequently lose track of their children during the holidays and may even leave them home alone. And when the latter happens, it is not unusual for children to go out without permission.

Key Findings

Key Findings. Findmykids Research Data

Key Findings. Findmykids Research Data

Key Findings. Findmykids Research Data

• Nearly 60% of parents say that during the holidays, there are moments when keeping an eye on their child becomes more difficult than usual.
• Nearly 1 in 3 participants mention they lose sight of their kids in shopping areas.
• Around 1 in 6 report similar situations while travelling; they lost their children in airports, trains, bus stations, or hotels.
• 1 in 5 parents regularly leave their children at home during this period.
• About 1 in 25 children find themselves in dangerous situations at home.
• 1 in 30 even leave the house on their own without their parents’ permission.

Where Parents Say It’s Hardest to Protect Their Kids During Holidays

Where It’s Hardest To Protect Kids During Holidays. Findmykids Research Data

According to the survey, 29.1% of parents say that shopping areas, such as malls and busy stores, are the hardest places to look after their kids during Christmas preparations. Crowded spaces, bright displays, and long lines make it easy for children to wander off or slip out of a parent’s sight.

Travel is another major challenge, as about 15.5% of parents report that airports, train stations, and hotels are places where it’s especially difficult to track their children during the holidays. Outdoor events can also cause problems: 11.6% of respondents say Christmas markets, fairs, and other seasonal gatherings make it harder to watch kids, again because of packed crowds and limited visibility.

That said, 41.7% of parents report they don’t run into these issues at all, showing how much holiday experiences can vary depending on family routines, children’s ages, and travel plans.

Leaving Children Home Alone During Holidays

Leaving Children Home Alone During Holidays. Findmykids Research Data

The survey shows that 22% of parents regularly choose this option during the holiday season, while another 23,1% do so occasionally. For most families, this approach works smoothly: 74,4% of parents say there are no major issues when they leave their kids home alone.

Still, some admit challenges. Almost 12% of survey participants mentioned their kid left the house without permission, had issues around kitchens or on the internet, or felt anxious or uncomfortable, even if nothing dangerous happened. The findings suggest that while staying home can reduce exposure to crowded spaces, it brings its own set of issues.

What Makes a Holiday Season Challenging

What Makes Holidays More Challenging For Parents. Findmykids Research Data

Parents point to several factors that make it harder to safeguard children during holidays. 30.2% of respondents believe that dangerous people are more active during the festive season. The same share confided that kids spend more time on their devices, and that, in turn, means more screen time and online dangers.

Meanwhile, 25.7% of parents note that children are more energetic and excited during holidays, which makes supervision much more challenging. Another 20.7% say that crowded places make it easier for kids to get separated from their parents. Finally, 18.3% of parents admit that increased workloads and holiday preparations make it harder to stay fully focused on watching their children.

Commenting on the results, Roman Epishin, parenting and child safety expert, and Head of Social Projects at Findmykids app, who is also a father, says:

“During the holidays, kids spend more time at home, they have no homework, so they are happy to wander and explore. At the same time, parents are multitasking: trying to meet work deadlines, welcome extended family into a nicely decorated home, pack for a long-awaited vacation, and so on. Naturally, they become less focused and more easily distracted, and watching their energized children, who no longer have a teacher watching over them, all day long can turn into a real pickle. As a father, I’ve been in that situation myself, so I know what it’s like. What helped me was clear communication with my child, a set of rules we discussed beforehand, and modern tools that help family members stay in touch even when they’re apart. These things really reduce stress and make it much easier to find each other.”

How Findmykids Can Help During the Holidays

Findmykids app

Even with rules in place, keeping track of children during the busy holiday season can be challenging. Findmykids offers a flexible way for parents to stay informed and feel reassured.

The app allows parents to see where their children are in real time, check location history, and receive alerts if kids need help. With features like Sound Around and the SOS button, children can quickly reach out if something feels wrong, while parents can keep an eye on screen time and app usage without constantly supervising.

Using tools like Findmykids helps families stay connected, giving children the freedom to explore safely and parents the confidence that they can find each other whenever needed. Install Findmykids today and make the holidays a little calmer for everyone.

How We Conducted This Study (Survey Methodology)

To create this study, Findmykids surveyed 722 parents from the UK and the US aged over 18 years old using internal polling. The study includes participants of all genders and social backgrounds.

Cover image: EyeEm / Freepik.com