• One in five (19 per cent) of us admit to forgetting Mother's Day, with almost a third (29 per cent) leaving it until the last minute to buy
• 43 per cent don't buy a card, while 44 per cent don't buy a present
• A quarter (25 per cent) of us admit there's sibling rivalry at home, with children wanting to win mum's love for the day (5 per cent) and to keep their status as favourite child (4 per cent)
• We spend on average of £19.44 on Mother's Day gifts and cards – meaning the nation will splash out £ 20,357,568** on gifts for this Sunday
• Mums say the best gifts their child can give them for Mother's Day are quality time (27 per cent) and flowers (16 per cent)
• Green Flag expects 14,723*** breakdowns to take place on Sunday as Brits travel an average of 92 miles to see mum
   

With Mother's Day fast approaching, breakdown cover provider Green Flag has revealed the nation's habits towards Mother's Day in order to help families avoid a breakdown at home this weekend. 

A staggering 42 per cent of Brits admit to not buying their mum a card for the day – while 44 per cent don’t buy a present either. While it seems un-thoughtful, it could be down to mothers' requests - as 37 per cent of mums ask their children not to buy them a gift as to not waste money.

Those that do buy spend an average of £19.44 on a card and present for their mum, and travel approximately 92 miles to see her, with methods of transport including car (49 per cent), bus (8 per cent), train (6 per cent) and plane (4 per cent). With so many Brits hitting the road, Green Flag expects 14,723 breakdowns to take place on Sunday

Sibling rivalry is one of the reasons we purchase for our mums, with 25 per cent of Brits saying there's pressure to out-perform their siblings. Reasons for rivalry include wanting to remain the favourite child (4 per cent), wanting to win mum's love for the day (6 per cent) and wanting to one-up siblings with the best gift as they're the least favourite child (2 per cent). However, 14 per cent of Brits say there's no rivalry as they buy their mum a joint present.

When it comes to shopping behaviour, 29 per cent of people leave it until the last minute buying their presents a few days before. Men are worse at this, as 33 per cent admit to leaving it late, while 26 per cent of women say they leave it until the last minute. 3 per cent of Brits say Mother's Day shopping makes them feel stressed, while 2 per cent panic buy.

To avoid stressful shopping, Brits simply need to visit their mums. Over a quarter of mothers say they don’t want to receive any presents for Mother's Day as having family time is the most important - with 27 per cent saying that just getting to see the family is the biggest gift of the day.

If you were to bring a gift home with you, flowers is the present of choice, with 16 per cent of mothers choosing that as their top gift to receive, followed by chocolates (7 per cent), framed family photos (3 per cent) and wine (2 per cent).

Dan Titley, head of marketing at Green Flag, commented: "We wanted to shed a bit of light into family life to hopefully avoid any breakdowns at home and help people decide how to best spend their Mother's Day.

"Mum's main priority is seeing the family – so we hope that families are able to get together this weekend to enjoy some quality time."

Is there sibling rivalry on Mother's Day?

What mums really want for Mother's Day

- ENDS -
 

* Green Flag internal data, weighted to market share

**Research conducted by Censuswide March 2017

With over 40 years experience, Green Flag provides customers with breakdown cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customers have access to a network of breakdown operators across the UK and mainland Europe (Euro Plus cover required).

Green Flag Motoring Assistance is underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Green Flag and U K Insurance Limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc. 

Customers can find out more about Green Flag products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 1557, connecting via the Green Flag Rescue Me Application, or visiting www.greenflag.com