A single mother who asked parents to pay £6 per head for their children to come to her twins’ 5th birthday party has defended her request.
Ruma Ali, 29, appeared on ITV’s This Morning where she said she ‘changed the dynamics of children’s parties’ because each child in attendance would also receive a gift worth £5.
But despite the mother’s reasoning the This Morning panel remained unconvinced with journalist Liat Hughes Joshi blasting the request as ‘rude’.
During the segment on the ITV show student Ms Ali said other parents offered to contribute to the cost of boys Shiyan and Kiyan’s celebration at an indoor play centre in Leicester, which came in at £11 per ticket.
The charge caused furore among parents with one sharing their outrage over Facebook – and it also sparked a debate between viewers watching the daytime show.
While some thought the mother was being reasonable, others believed that if she was putting on the party Ms Ali should pay the whole cost.
Single mother-of-two Ruma Ali appeared on This Morning to defend her decision to ask for a contribution towards her sons’ joint birthday party
Viewers were divided over the debate, with some finding the request ‘the height of rudeness’. While others thought it was a ‘great idea’ and actually made it cheaper
Ms Ali explained that she invited all of her sons’ 60 school friends to come along as they were in different classes, and didn’t want any child to miss out.
She argued that she had spent more than her fair share paying for her children to attend their friends’ parties, and that the bill for the party she was throwing would still reach around £500 even with subsidies.
One parent was left less than impressed and called Ms Ali out in a Facebook post: ‘In all my years of hosting and being invited to kids parties, I have never been asked to pay for attending a party. Is this the done thing nowadays?’
However, Ms Ali, who is in her second year at De Montfort University, told presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, that the cost of the ticket was in lieu of a gift because her children have special needs.
Speaking on the show she said ‘The parents said if you don’t want presents let us pay. I didn’t want them to contribute but they said let us pay half.
‘It costs more to buy the presents, I’ve said don’t do that because they are special needs. I didn’t want anyone to feel left out.’
It costs £11-per-child to come along to Fun Valley, in Evington, Leicester, so if all of the boys’ friends go to the party it could cost £660, before Ms Ali has paid for goody bags and cake.
Ruma Ali (pictured, with her sons), 29, asked parents to help with the cost of boys Shiyan and Kiyan’s celebration at an indoor play centre in Leicester
More people spoke out in support of Ms Ali’s request, which she said other parents were only too happy to contribute
During the heated debate on This Morning, Ms Ali was joined by journalist Liat Hughes Joshi who blasted the request as ‘rude’.
She fumed: ‘It is massively excessive… You don’t have to invite the whole class.’
Those watching the debate were divided with some agreeing with the single mother’s money-saving hack.
One said: ‘I actually think it’s a great idea to get the parents to contribute! I would more than happily pay. It’s lovely to invite the whole class when they are little but it’s so expensive.’
Student Ms Ali said she made the request because she wanted all of her sons’ (pictured) 60 school friends to come along, but one parent was less than impressed
Some parents were left furious at the suggestion and said that if Ms Ali was going to throw a party she should foot the entire bill herself
Another added: ‘I have 3 children and it would actually save money not to buy a present and to just pay for my child to go to the party! Don’t see a problem at all.’
But those unimpressed with the charge said: ‘Sorry height of rudeness to ask parents to in pay to go to your kids party.’
‘If you have a party for your child, you pay for it. End of. This woman making a mountain out of a molehill, if you can afford it why not pay,’ one fumed.
The former council worker said only one parent had complained and others had taken to Facebook in support of the mother.
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10.30am