Single mum of triplets sparks debate by saying no to individual sweet 16 parties

03 March 2024 , 23:21

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Triplet girls want individual luxury sweet 16 birthday parties (Image: Getty Images)

Sweet 16 birthday parties cost a lot of money when you have to buy just one, nevermind three, which is why a mother has refused to give her triplets individual celebrations.

The parent posted her decision online on a Reddit page known as 'AITA' ('Am I the a**hole') and generated an enormous response, with over 1000 people giving their opinion.

While the idea of giving her kids three separate special parties appears a good idea on paper, in reality, it would cost a significant amount of money With Perfect_Phone9777, writing: "A venue would be around $500… and with all the additional things like decorations, DJ, invites, food – it would be around $1,200-$1,400, and that's the cheapest we can do."

Explaining her financial dilemma, the doting mother continued: "I can afford that once, but they want three individual parties – which would be over $4,000."

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The girls aren't sensitive to their mother's financial situation (Getty Images)

Usually, the single parent generously gives her children $150 each. But this year, the kids want more, and she's had to turn them down. She said: "I can't really afford $4,000 for birthday parties, so I told them no."

Elaborating further on the practical difficulties of raising triplets, she explained: "I could throw three smaller parties, but it would be a huge hassle deciding [which of the teens] gets to have the party on their actual birthday, as I can't plan three parties in one day.

"And they have a lot of common family and friends. I was willing to do it anyway, but a smaller party means no venue, no DJ, cheaper food and drinks – and my daughters aren't OK with that."

The girls will not be getting individual parties (Getty Images)

Despite her best efforts, the children have shown a massive lack of appreciation. She explained: "I've tried explaining to them [that] I can't afford it, but they just told me to get an extra job.

"One of them is mad [that they] can't have their own sweet 16s. I told them the budget was $1,200, and they could figure out how to spend it."

Not quite knowing how to handle the situation, she asked the internet: "Should I get an extra job?"

Unsurprisingly, the Reddit users found the whole ordeal utterly ridiculous, deeming the three kids extremely selfish. The top 'upvoted' comment, which received a whopping 7000 likes, read: "You definitely [messed] up raising your daughters. They are 16, old enough to get a job. If they [want to] spend more money than you have, they should work for it. This is insane."

Taking the advice on board, the mother has drawn a line in the sand, revealing that her decision is final and that if the girls want three parties, they'll have to work for it. She concluded: "I've told them to get a weekend job, but that would mean less time with friends, so they refused… At this point, I'm putting my foot down, and I've told them I won't spend past $1,200, and they need to find a way to celebrate within that budget."

James Sweetnam