More families outsourcing big Christmas tasks like lunch to spend more time with loved ones

MORE and more families are outsourcing aspects of Christmas to spend more time with their loved ones including the special lunch and assembling presents from Santa.

Victoria Rose with daughters Lily, 9, and Bonnie, 6, has had Christmas dinner delivered for the past three years. Picture: Justin Lloyd

CHRISTMAS is about spending time together, so it should probably come as little surprise that today’s busy families are outsourcing everything from trimming the tree to cooking lunch and even assembling the kids’ gifts from Santa.

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said outsourcing had been taken “to a new level we’ve not seen before”.

“Christmas is the busiest time of year and outsourcing various areas of the day is understandably on the rise,” Mr McCrindle said.

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Even writing Christmas cards can now be done by someone else. As a working mother-of-two, Victoria Rose, 43, of Bronte, said outsourcing the Christmas meal — which she will do again this year for the third time — means more time with loved ones.

“It takes the stress and scariness away because it all turns up on Christmas Eve” she said.

“It’s ready to go, with a minimal amount of prep on the day, so I can concentrate on being with the family,” she said.

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And while meal services such as The Dinner Ladies expect an increase in demand, Airtasker also reports a rise in need at Christmas.

“Many parents have gifts like trampolines, swings and cubby houses assembled on Christmas Eve, so when the kids wake up they are ready to play,” chief executive Tim Fung said.