A mother complaining about the cost of her child’s birthday party has sparked an online debate following a viral discussion post.
Shared by popular site Mumsnet on Wednesday, user Snowwhite83 asked:
She explains: multiple presents.
“I also generally hate buying trash and these days I find it impossible to get a gift under £10. Should I stop complaining and break up? child cannot attend?”
A child’s birthday is no longer a trifle. A 2018 study found that the average spend on a child’s birthday was about $51 to $100 in the United States.
Luxury children’s parties are becoming big business. The Kardashian-Jenner clan has taken the lead when it comes to setting the standard for children’s celebrations, and birthday parties in recent years have included mini carnivals, live performances and bespoke jungles.
huge expense
But celebrities aren’t the only ones throwing big bucks into parties. A survey by supermarket retailer Asda found that the average British parent spent more than $28,000 on her child’s birthday party by the time the child reached adulthood.
In hundreds of comments, women’s feelings about children’s parties sparked serious debate.
One commenter shared how she felt she could get the gift at an affordable price.
Another Mumsnet user wrote:
But other parents sympathized with the poster. One commenter said:
“I agree with the OP that he doesn’t want to buy garbage,” wrote another commenter: “The discussion about waste and the environment is good enough for me.”
“Always give them a book,” suggested another commenter: “A really cheap and useful gift.”
Another parent agreed it was unreasonable to combine too many birthdays.
Other Mumsnet users have suggested budget-friendly gifts. Another suggested, “a book and a chocolate bar respectively.”
One commenter disagreed with the posters, suggesting they were unfair.If you can’t afford it, give them a little present. [it], no one cares! ”
This discussion seemed to help resolve the poster’s dilemma, writing in a later comment:
Back in February, a mother was accused online of demanding $34 from anyone attending her child’s birthday party.
ibigfish/cyano66/Getty Images
