The internet has enthusiastically backed a parent who was asked to pay $34 to attend a birthday party for their child's friend with one calling the cost "ridiculous."
In the post shared to the U.K.-based website Mumsnet by account arachnidpearl, the parent shared their shock of having to pay the equivalent of $34 to go to the party at a climbing wall activity center in northern England.
The parent said in a post shared on Tuesday: "My DS [dear son] has been invited to a child's party on Saturday. It's at an activity place with a climbing wall then food afterwards. Accepted invitation weeks ago, have bought card and gift etc.
"We've been sent a message yesterday from birthday child's parent last night which says that all children under 8 must be supervised by an adult each, which is ok with me I don't mind saying (would rather not, but it's not the end of the world) but that in order to stay and supervise we have to buy a full-price adults ticket, which costs £25."
The poster then added: "Is this usual? It seems a bit of a cheek to me."
Shortly after the parent shared the post, many others jumped to her defense and were equally shocked by the steep cost.
One said: "Ridiculous, I'd call the venue and ask if this is true first as PP [previous poster] said. If it is, I'd tell them you can't attend. There's no way I'd pay £25 to supervise my child at someone else's birthday party."
Another added: "Very cheeky and actually should have been stated in the beginning on the invite. I wouldn't go, do something else you will both enjoy."
A third commented: "£25 seems like a lot. Double-check with the place. We have a similar place locally and the charge is only for kids because they want adults to stay and supervise."
The post generated a huge debate on the website, with 536 messages being shared on the subject since it was uploaded.
Parents today are spending more money on their children with many paying hundreds of dollars on children's gifts, according to Statista.
In a survey, Statista found the average amount spent per child on toys in 2019 was $300 in North America—much higher than anywhere else on Earth.
Oceania came in a distant second, parents spending an average of $224 on their children's toys. Europe lagged behind with $212 being spent on kids on average in 2019.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Anders Anglesey is a U.S. News Reporter based in London, U.K., covering crime, politics, online extremism and trending stories. Anders ... Read more
