To think these things don’t matter and you should save money for dc instead?

[leapgro]

Genuinely interested as to whether it affects them etc.

DC coming up to 1, lots of people having big parties, even balloons costs 20 quid let alone everything else. Hiring venues etc. Same with expensive baby clothes, trips to legoland etc. Surely unless you enjoy this yourself/have enough money to waste, it’s not actually beneficial for the child? Or is it? Am I wrong?

Why would parties and pricier baby clothes affect development?

Agree completely. Balloon arches etc can fuck off.

Spoiler alert: people spend money on different things. Who knew?

I also said that we save md every penny instead of spending it on rubbish but you must have missed that. Goodness I can’t believe the jealousy on here. My friends used to tell me I was mean not letting my kids spend their birthday money on crap, they soon changed their minds and now wish they’d done the same. I’m sorry that myself and my kids being sensible and now having a great life offends you so much. 😘

I grew up waiting for the time that the mythical future would arrive when I could get what I wanted for my birthday or Christmas instead of some cheap version of what I wanted.
In the end I went out and bought what I wanted myself.
It has left me with a strange view of gift giving and receiving. Personally I would rather people didn’t give me gifts if it isn’t something I have asked for.

My mother was still planning for when we would begin our weekly shopping trips when I went NC and left to live 300 miles away.

I think there is a middle ground between buying absolute crap and buying nothing.

It is ok to say you won’t spend money on your dc when they are young but what I have noticed when I have met other parents is that of those that stick to that idea there is always 1 set of parents who can’t ever bring themselves to spend money on anything they don’t deem a necessity ever.

Everyone seems to save and focus on their children's adulthood, why is that more important than just enjoying more things in their childhood?
We all want our children to do well in life, and this is continually measured by money and less by ensuring your child turns out to be a well rounded person.
Life is too short.
I do save for my children, but providing a childhood which shapes their adulthood will alway come first. We didn't have as much for my eldest, I was a teen parent. Now we are in a better financial position.