The case sparked a discussion about how early to start teaching children how to manage their money.
A London mother sparked a heated argument online after asking her young children to pay for your own lunch at McDonald’s with the money they received for Christmas, an attitude that was intended to teach a lesson in financial responsibility.
Kate King31, said that the incident occurred on January 2, right after the end of year holidays, when her two children, Louie, 8, and Arna, 5, ordered McDonald’s for lunch. Instead of paying for it herself, King said they could eat the fast food if they paid with the money they had received as a Christmas present.
The children agreed without complaining. Louie spent £7 on a vegan McPlant, while Arna paid £4 for a Happy Meal. What followed, according to King, was an unexpected wave of criticism online after he shared the story publicly.
@katehomelearns This is home education. #homeed #homeeducation #parenttok #mumsoftiktok #fyp ♬ Capture Everything – Chad Gerber
“I received messages from call me a bad mother and even threatening to contact Child Protective Services,” King told . Despite the criticism, he stated that he stands by his decision and would do it all over again.
King insists that the moment was not intended as a punishment, but rather as a practical financial management lesson. She and her husband, whose name she chose not to use, say they are intentionally teaching their children practical skills like budgeting, saving and making decisions about expenses.
The controversy comes amid broader discussions about parenting styles, particularly a shift toward so-called gentle parenting, which critics say can lack structure and responsibility. Parents like King say they are try to find a balancegiving children more responsibility in an age-appropriate way.
Similar approaches have gone viral on the internet. In the United States, Taja Ashaka, mother of two daughters, charges her pre-teen daughters weekly “rent” and utility bills, with late payment fines. Another mother, Samantha Bird, requires her three young children to pay small monthly fees for their rent, grocery purchases and utility bills, taken from their allowances.
King, who began homeschooling his children in September 2025, says his approach reflects a desire for more personalized learning and that he believes everyday experiences, even a trip to McDonald’s, can serve as lessons in math and decision-making.
According to King, the children valued the experience more because they paid for it. “They ate everything and they were very proud of what they had done“, he said. “For us, it became something special, instead of something negative.”
