What's the most extravagant indulgence you buy for your DCs?

[peaceanddove]

Inspired by another thread over on AIBU, but just wondered what crazily indulgent treats have you bought your children?

Ever since she started wearing make up I've always bought Chanel foundation for DD because I was determined she wasn't going to have that dreadful orangey-chalk face beloved of so many teenage girls.

Shoes and books. They don't need as many as they have but I love them having really nice good quality shoes and get a lot of enjoyment from reading them good books, and they love their books.

From age 10 Dd has high quality art supplies. Some of hers are better than mine. It’s her passion and the better products do work better and sometimes even last longer.

A ridiculous number of hobby activities. She won't be able to keep them all going for ever, and my bank balance will weep tears of gratitude. But she loves the activities, and she loves to be busy, and they make her happy (and keep her off YouTube for a few hours).

Not now but it was dance and all the associated costs. Classes, uniform, exams, costumes, travel, competitions not to mention time, being there 5 days a week.

My DD has to have £65 schools shoes (Dr Martens) thats probably my biggest expense. She also has some expensive coats from Monsoon and similar.

Art supplies, books and labelled (sports) clothes. They do look after them though and get a lot of enjoyment from the art and books.

Lego. Bloody Lego. I swear on all that’s good and Holy in this world we have more Lego than bastard Lego land.

(And it is expensive)

"Packs" on their xbox/PlayStation. Absolute waste of money, and no matter how many you buy there is always something else they want a couple of days later, but I'm a complete pushover (sometimes just say yes to shut them up).

Gaming computers, monitors, headphones, mouse and mat. But the deal is they get incredible grades and attitude to learning must be outstanding or good, homework done to a high standard. They haven't let me down.

Their games on Steam (much cheaper than Xbox games)

Doctor martens for school shoes

L O fucking L dolls. Utter rip off but the pull of collection is strong!

We invest a decent amount of money for our DS's pension and Help to Buy ISA. He is 20 now.

He is very sensible financially and budgets to buy his own clothes, sports stuff etc. from part time earnings and Uni maintenance loan. Always had charity shop stuff growing up and now he buys and sells on line.

The one treat I indulge in buying for him is the M & S chocolate cereal .

LOL dolls here too, DD 6 is so obsessed we even have to make pretend unboxing videos when she gets a new one.

I always have to buy her nice coats, can’t stand cheap, thin ones and it’s totally crazy but I don’t like her having the same one as someone else in her class so I spend a fortune every year on new ones

When they were little, a small mortgage on Lego and Warhammer. As they grew older a small fortune on musical instruments and music lessons.

Lego here too - so much Lego but my son in particular gets so much enjoyment from it.

DS is 7 so not really into clothes yet and doesn't have a phone. Probably holidays and trips away but I benefit from those too! Also Robux.

Lululemon leggings for my DDs; they get so much wear out of them that it works out much more cost effective than countless pairs of Primark leggings.

Activities. When I was a kid every time I asked to do an activity, from learning an instrument to ice skating, I was told no. Always too expensive, not forking out for instruments, special uniforms, kit, etc etc because apparently I would get bored and grow out of stuff, or she wasn’t trekking to the far side of town every week to take me. We had plenty of money, and she was a sahm, but it was always no.

My dc are allowed to have a go at anything they fancy. Costs a fortune and it’s a whirlwind to get them to all their classes (or it was, pre-Covid...), but I love watching them play/perform/compete/create/have fun.

Over the years I've spent a small fortune on dance (ballet, tap, modern, jazz, musical theatre) for two and sport (swimming, netball, football, trampolining) for the other! Now it's just make up and hair stuff for dd3 as she's studying Hair and Beauty.

Music lessons, musical instruments, Stagecoach fees. Easily £100 per week all in. They are only this age for a short time and I justify it to myself by saying it's cheaper than after school club.

John lewis pj's
Randomly

Music lessons and instruments
Therapy (extravagant but also necessary)

Aviation is probably the main expense. DS is nearly 14 and genuinely, sincerely wants to be a pilot. He has a high-spec gaming PC with a yoke, rudder and pedals to run his flight simulators, we've taken him for proper flight sim experiences in a Boeing cockpit with a real pilot (who said it was an absurdly easy session for her because he already knew most of what she would have told him!), we take him plane-spotting all over the place and he has a DSLR camera to take decent photos of planes.

Either that or fencing - he's not particularly sporty but he started fencing when he was about 9 after a taster session at school and we're encouraging it to get him off screens a bit and build a friendship group outside school. It's all been via Zoom this year but it normally involves a lot of trekking the length of the country to competitions and the price of the kit is eye-watering.

Dance and gymnastics for DD. Leotards, shoes (tap, modern, ballet, character) comp fees, costumes, lessons. She's only 8 so it's early-ish days too.

DS collects comic books, lego and is an avid gamer.

Holidays. Under normal circumstances two a year, skiing and Caribbean. They are 48 and 49 and we take their kids too.

Horses. DD has had a pony since she was 3. Now that she is a bit older and is starting to compete more seriously we have two of them. Their care, equipment and all of the entry fees takes up pretty much all of our spare cash but I really wouldn't have it any other way.