My Super Sweet Prom

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- Parents spend up to £1,183 on their teen's proms -

Friday 6th July 2012:  Pressured parents are spending as much as £1,200 on their teen’s annual prom celebrations according to new research out today(1) – while more than one in ten (12 per cent) have gone into the red to pay for their child’s busy social life.

The study(2) by Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance polled over 1,000 parents with children aged between 11 and 18 to look at the impact of the US craze on Britain.  13 per cent of parents said their teens expect a prom on a par with hit TV shows such as My Super Sweet 16 and Glee while a third (33 per cent) admitted that they have had to cut back on their own expenses in order to pay for their children’s extravagances.

According to the finding, the average parent spends £209 on their child’s prom celebrations.  Daughters rack up the largest bill for parents with preparations for a prom party costing £229, but sons still set their parents back a hefty £185.  Despite the continuing recession parents earning less than £20,000 were amongst the biggest prom spenders, forking out as much as £170 for their child’s ‘red-carpet moment’.

Embracing the glitter and sparkle of the high school prom, over one in ten parents (11 per cent) have paid for their teenager to have a spray tan before their prom while eight per cent have paid for a sun bed.  A worrying seven per cent of parents polled have even forked out for their children to have surgical procedures.  Other fancy treatments lavished on teens include professional hairstyles (38 per cent), fish pedicures (seven per cent), hair removal (ten per cent) and facials (nine per cent). 

Nearly half of parents (42 per cent) admitted feeling guilty if they did not help their child look their best at a party, while almost a half (47 per cent) felt it was their duty as a parent.  Over a third of parents (36 per cent) said that they regularly buy new outfits for their children to attend a party, despite the fact that they do not wear them again.  Proving that many young people are thinking more A-list than A-Levels, almost one in five parents (18 per cent) said that their teenagers put partying above their studies.

According to the findings, the average parent spends £89 on their teen’s prom outfit and accessories and £34 on hair and make-up.  13 per cent of parents have paid in excess of £40 for their child’s ticket to the prom while a sixth (16 per cent) have spent more than £30 a head on travel.

While sixteen year olds set their parents back the most, with the average prom party costing £246, one in ten families (ten per cent) are now hosting elaborate celebrations to mark their child finishing primary school.

A tenth of British parents (ten per cent) have organised a pre-prom party for their teen while eight per cent have felt compelled to hire a venue and entertainment to celebrate their child’s end of year celebrations.  13 per cent have organised a party at home to try and keep costs down.

Jacky Brown, at Sheilas’ Wheels home insurance, said:  “Proms are a great way to celebrate the year’s achievements, but it seems many are losing sight of this and spending money excessively. 

“The cost of new outfits and accessories can really add up, especially if you are buying new ones for each party.  It’s crucial not to underestimate the cost to replace a glamorous wardrobe.  Luckily with Sheilas’ Wheels you get new for old cover on clothes.”

Average cost of a Prom:


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Sheilas’ Wheels’ press contacts:
For further information please contact the Sheilas’ Wheels press office at Mischief PR on 020 3128 6600 or email sheilaswheels@mischiefpr.com

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Notes to Editors:
(1) Parents earning between £150k-200k spend and average of £1,183 on their child’s prom celebrations. The average spend of parents across all income brackets is £209
(2) Sheilas’ Wheels used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,005 British parents with children aged 11 to 18 between 18th and 21st June 2012. FlyResearch is an online market research company. Its researches are members of the MRS, PRCA, BPC and Esomar, and abide by their guidelines. Further information is available at www.FlyResearch.com