Woman refuses to spend hundreds on her kids’ birthdays
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I refuse to spend hundreds on my children’s birthdays; instead we have adventures in the woods and pizza parties.
- Surrey’s Kirsty Ketley refuses to spend hundreds on children’s birthdays
- She said her children prefer smaller parties to big celebrations.
- The Surrey-based mother of two typically spends £40 per party.
- Visit Metro.es to read the full version of this article
Every time Kirsty Ketley brings her kids Leo and Ella to her friends’ birthday parties, she knows she’s opening the door to some kind of expensive entertainment, whether it’s bouncy castles, wizards, or Marvel superheroes.
After one particularly flashy party, Kirsty, who lives in Surrey, knew what was coming.
‘Sure enough, in the car home, Leo said he wanted a magician for his fifth birthday. I explained that they were a lot of money and since his sister had never had entertainment at her parties, it wouldn’t be fair for him to have one,’ the mother of two he tells Metro.co.uk.
“I have never spent a fortune on my children’s birthdays and was not about to succumb to peer pressure.”
Surrey-based parenting expert Kirsty Ketley has revealed how she refuses to spend hundreds of dollars on her children’s birthdays and instead throws smaller parties for her children. In the photo: her son Leo, six
Instead, the Surrey parenting expert suggested an alternative: an adventure party in the local woods for Leo and a handful of his friends.
Holding her own, Kirsty threw this woodland-themed party herself. She used sticks to create wands, helped the kids build dens, and made sure there was plenty of hot chocolate on hand. In the end, Leo’s party only cost £40.
“Everyone loved it, especially Leo, who loves being outdoors and the feedback from parents was very positive, with some commenting that it was nice to do something different from the big, noisy indoor events.”
Kirsty explains that she has never been a fan of big parties and thinks they may send the wrong message.
The mother-of-two said she doesn’t like to overspend on children’s birthdays and likes to think outside the box to cut costs.
Her, Kirsty’s daughter, now nine years old, on her sixth birthday. Kirsty said she spends around £40 on her children’s parties.
“At one event we attended, the birthday girl greeted each of her guests asking where her gift was, and as she placed each item on a designated table, she counted them, making sure her friends knew how many gifts she was receiving. .
“It seemed that the whole meaning of the celebration was being lost: the gifts of their guests were much more important than their presence.”
Kirsty, on the other hand, likes to instill in her children the simple message: “You don’t have to spend a lot to have a lot.”
‘My children, Ella, nine, and Leo, now six, have only had little flings for their birthdays, which they’ll tell you hasn’t been bad.
“They both understood from a young age that they wouldn’t have anything bigger, but neither of them feels like they’re missing out.”
She blows out the candles on her birthday cake during a family garden party for her sixth birthday
Kirsty understands why some parents may choose to spend hundreds, especially when it’s often easier than doing it all yourself, but she doesn’t think kids need big extravagances to celebrate their birthdays.
‘Shortening down a child’s birthday party doesn’t mean kids are missing out. And it certainly doesn’t make you any less of a father.
Visit Metro.es to read the full version of this article
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