He bought his mom expensive glasses, she said no: The real cost of an expensive gift? Convincing your parents to accept it​​

The story started with a pair of glasses. But it was never actually about the glasses.

When Sahil, @vedictrades, posted online that he had purchased his mother a pair of glasses costing approximately ₹1 lakh and the best part of the story was that it took him nearly 30 minutes to persuade her to take the gift.


His mother had taken a trip to a store to purchase glasses and video called him to display possibilities. She had liked one pair though as soon as she saw the price, she said no. When he told her he would pay for it, she refused again. In his words, she informed him that he is not to purchase such costly items until he began to earn ₹5–6 lakh per month and had sufficient savings. Before she agreed, he had to persuade her that he already earned more than that.

This story is likely to sound very familiar to you in case you were raised in an Indian family.


Indian parents will spend everything on their children. School fees, tuition, clothes, college, weddings, even helping with house down payments. They will take loans, cut their own expenses, postpone their own plans, but they will not hesitate to spend on their children.
But when it comes to spending on themselves, suddenly everything becomes expensive.


New phone? “My old phone is working fine.”
New clothes? “I already have enough.”
Better chair? “This one is okay.”
Travel? “Too expensive.”
Expensive glasses? “Waste of money.”
It is almost like an entire generation was trained to spend on everyone except themselves.


Many middle-class parents grew up in a time when money was always something to be careful about. Saving was more important than spending. Needs were more important than wants. Luxury was something other people had. Even after their financial situation improves, the mindset doesn’t change easily.
But the most emotional part of stories like this is not about money at all. It is about a moment that quietly happens in many families.


There is a moment in life when children start earning and want to buy things for their parents. And parents don’t know how to accept it.


For years, parents are the ones who pay for everything. Suddenly one day the roles start changing. The child pays the bill. The child books the tickets. The child buys the phone. The child tells the parent, “Don’t worry, I’ll pay.”
And parents still say the same thing:
“Save your money.”
“You will need it later.”
“Don’t spend on us.”
Maybe because in their mind, we are still children.


Maybe because for them, taking from their children feels strange after spending their whole life giving.
That is why this story touched so many people. Not because of ₹1 lakh glasses, but because almost everyone has had this conversation at least once with their parents.


Sometimes growing up is not when you start earning money.
Sometimes growing up is when you try to buy something for your parents and they refuse.