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Why parents spend so much on prom

April 15, 2012 @ 6:29 pm (Updated: 9:45 am - 4/16/12 )

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Many girls spent the weekend trying to find the perfect dress that no one will have. Prom season is near in the Puget Sound area.

How much do you think the average household spends on prom night? Think about the dress, the tux, the limo, and all the stuff teens think they're entitled to.

Prom

"They're on the Internet so they have a wider exposure of accessories, be it a limo or a manicure, that they believe is part of the standard prom experience," says Kit Yarrow is the author of "Generation Buy."

In many cases parents - mostly moms - are trying to re-live the prom experience they probably didn't have. Sweet 16 parties aren't a big deal in the Northwest, so prom is the top excuse to throw a glamorous party for a daughter.

"Parents also use prom as a way to have a great adult party for their kids because they know that their kids are going to be marrying later, and in some ways it's replaced the wedding," says Yarrow.

Worse yet, for some parents the prom is a way to show off.

"In some of the more affluent households, parents also use prom as a way to showcase their wealth, through their kids, to the community," she says.

The average family spends $1,078 on prom, according to the National Retail Federation.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (12)


  • Add A Comment

  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    If the parents are paying....I wonder if the kids are actually ready for a "prom"
    April 15, 2012 7:57 pm
    Prom, of course, comes from the word "promenade"- meaning essentially to parade and display lavishly.

    Good thing it doesn't really come from the word "promotion", as in a marked transition from the status of a child to that of young adult. Only a child would expect Mommy and Daddy to foot the bill.

    The *parents* are spending a giesel per kid?

    Must be my advanced age, but back in the day, (when we called for our dates in a horse drawn buggy, of course) nobody would have ever expected their parents to foot the bill for going out with a boyfriend or girlfriend. You wanted to take a girl out on a date? You mowed lawns, worked in the car wash, carried newspapers, washed dishes, or whatever it took to raise the money.

    Wonder how many of these parents are surprised that after Jr. and Missy get married they continue to view Mom and Dad as a couple of piggy banks?

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  • mnpat wrote...
    Chuck said..."Must be my advanced age"
    April 16, 2012 11:12 am
    I'm right there with you Chuck.....seems we and others did it the old fashion way, you earned it...and you what....that was usually enough to have a good time.
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  • murr wrote...
    Entitled
    April 16, 2012 5:23 am
    Is the key word. Earned, might be a bette one.
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  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    but they are boosting the economy...
    April 16, 2012 5:36 am
    since when did the parents pay? I always thought the date paid. The girl just needs a dress. Ever thought of borrowing one from a friend or relative. Clearly America's teens are completely self absorbed. I can't wait to hire them when they are ready to join the workforce. Will their parents help them do their jobs too?
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  • ottmilkr wrote...
    Bad Parenting
    April 16, 2012 5:37 am
    Same base root issue as to why parents are producing children that don't want to work, which is why we have 20 million illegals in "des" country.
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  • sohojo wrote...
    Average Family
    April 16, 2012 5:39 am
    Spends $1078? Well then I am way below average and here I was thinking i was somebody, darn! I sent my son to prom for under $200.
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  • sweetpea123 wrote...
    I object...
    April 16, 2012 5:56 am
    For years, I have advocated returning prom to the confines of the local high schools...not only out of the respect to honor this as the last "hurrah" but also as a point of safety. Every year we would hear about at least one couple being robbed, getting drunk and in trouble, ending up in a crash. Having proms so far away from home is always a dangerous proposition and it's beyond me why school districts don't require all proms be held on school grounds. The "liability" issues that I've heard have driven prom off school grounds, are the fault of poor parenting in the first place, but a district can still be held accountable if students are destructive or get into trouble because the booster clubs and student associations are required to sign releases and they are always attached to a district. There isn't a school around that doesn't have a gym or cafeteria that can be fully decorated and even pay for a band, for half the cost of renting out a hotel venue. I have one neighbor whose daughter actually had the audacity to bring flyers around advocating "sponsorship" for her prom dress, because she wanted to buy one that was, as she put it, "so the bomb", she just haaaaaaaad to have it and her (single) mom couldn't afford it. I asked the young lady if she was hoping to find yard work or housecleaning to earn that "sponsorship" and she very bluntly told me, "you don't get what sponsorship means, do you?"...to which I replied, "yes, I actually do. It means you're too lazy to earn that dress but you expect everyone to hand it to you"...and I closed the door.
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  • Nickademas wrote...
    Back in the day
    April 16, 2012 6:04 am
    I had to save every penny, nickle, dime, quarter and occasional dollar to afford Prom. I managed to do it myself. It was well done, tasteful and most importantly did not cost a $k...
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  • ttspan wrote...
    inflated?
    April 16, 2012 8:49 am
    This $1,078 has to be inflated. I can't imagine the average household spending that. By having my kids foot the bill they take everything into consideration - where to eat, what to wear (borrowed or new), limo/no limo. We pay for the corsage/boutonniere. Not doing them any favors when everything is handed to them. And then we wonder..............
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  • DJFavorite wrote...
    I haven't experienced Prom yet
    April 16, 2012 10:08 am
    Next year... If my son wants a limo, then he better figure out how to pay for it. Same with the tux, dinner, photos, and the corsage. When I went to prom, I made my own dress, we drove in his car (though I actually drove for my Jr Prom, since he didn't have his license yet). I didn't grow up here, so I'm not sure what the traditions have been. When I went to prom in the early 80's in Phoenix, it was common to have the prom at a hotel or historic location. We didn't have 'after prom' parties, just dinner beforehand. And I found that perfectly memorable.
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  • Normal Human wrote...
    "Here's Your One Chance Fancy, Don't Let Me Down...."
    April 16, 2012 11:54 am
    I find it very interesting that the lower down the socio-economic scale the more the family spends on prom! Hearing those news reports makes me think of the classic country tune "Fancy" - most recently covered by Reba McEntire! It's like prom is the "glory days" for many girls, who may not go on for much more education, and grub along in a life of low paid jobs and raise kids who don't aspire to much more than she did. And for some girls, prom is the night they get pregnant.....which is a whole different social issue worthy of discussion. It's sad to realize that high school is the "glory days" for most of our population. The money some parents spend on prom could cover a couple of vocational classes at a junior college. Their values are all in places hard for me to figure out. Here's your one chance Fancy, don't let me down......
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