Ashley Iaconetti has an unpopular parenting opinion she already expects other parents to disagree with. She does not see the point in spending money on a birthday party before a child can communicate that they want one.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star shared the take while celebrating the recent second birthday of her younger son, Hayden, with husband Jared Haibon and their older son, Dawson.
Instead of showing an elaborate children’s party, the family gathered around a cake and blew out the candles together. Iaconetti wrote over the video that if a child cannot speak yet, throwing them a birthday party is a “waste of money.”
Iaconetti said she waited until Dawson specifically requested a Chuck E. Cheese party for his third birthday before organizing a larger celebration for him.
Hayden’s Second Birthday Sparked the ‘Unpopular Opinion’
View this post on Instagram
Iaconetti shared the Reel on August 6th while celebrating Hayden, who turned 2 on July 22nd. “Unpopular opinion: If your child can’t speak yet, a birthday party is a waste of money,” Iaconetti wrote over the clip, according to PEOPLE.
She invited disagreement in the caption rather than softening the statement. “Go off on me in the comments,” she wrote. Hayden still received cake, candles and a family celebration.
Iaconetti and Haibon welcomed Hayden Cruise Haibon on July 22nd, 2024. His first name was partly inspired by Hayden Christensen, while his middle name came from the couple’s admiration for Tom Cruise.
Dawson Got a Party When He Asked for Chuck E. Cheese
View this post on Instagram
Iaconetti used her older son to explain when she believes a larger birthday celebration becomes worthwhile. “I only did a birthday party when Dawson specifically asked for a Chuck E. Cheese party for his 3rd birthday,” she wrote.
When Dawson turned 1 in January 2023, Iaconetti shared a family photograph of herself and Haibon holding him beside a birthday cake. She joked that her son had already collected material for a future game of “Two Truths and a Lie.”
“Truth #1: My parents met on a reality dating show. Truth #2: I met Tom Brady on my first birthday,” she wrote, asking followers to invent the lie. Haibon focused on another part of the celebration, commenting that Dawson “loves cake just like his old man.”
She Has ‘No Shame’ About Her Other Parenting Choices
During an April outing in Boston, she took Dawson and Hayden to the New England Aquarium while Haibon visited a friend in the hospital. “I thought, let me take the kids to the Boston aquarium while he’s there,” she wrote afterward. “I do not recommend doing this.”
Managing two young children alone in the crowded attraction convinced her to take additional precautions. Iaconetti attached a children’s safety leash between herself and Hayden and placed an AirTag on Dawson.
“I have no shame in my toddler leash game,” she wrote, adding, “Dawson has an AirTag on. #safetyovershame.” The outing was documented by Us Weekly and PEOPLE after her Instagram Stories expired.
Parenting Has Become Part of Her ‘Real Housewives’ Life
Iaconetti’s parenting decisions have become increasingly visible since she joined The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. She has acknowledged that combining production with raising two young children can be difficult.
“The balance is hard. We somehow manage,” she told PEOPLE. “Thank goodness we have a good support team. We have a good village here helping out with the kids, but the shoot months are long and hard, but worth it.”
Iaconetti said she and Haibon remain conscious of how their sons are included in the series. “Nothing’s aired or was filmed that I felt uncomfortable with having the family involved in,” she said.
She added that she and Haibon have a clear understanding of how they want their family’s life to operate and try to remain themselves while cameras are present.
Hayden Is Already Making His Opinions Clear
View this post on Instagram
During an April recording of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, Hayden wandered into the frame while Iaconetti’s longtime cohost Ben Higgins was holding his daughter, Winnie.
The Bachelor Nation friends jokingly tried to play matchmaker between their children. Iaconetti asked Hayden whether he and Winnie wanted to get married.
“No,” he immediately replied. Iaconetti has previously said that the toddler years are her favorite stage precisely because her sons begin communicating more and developing recognizable personalities. “If I could pop out a 2-year-old, we’d have another kid,” she said earlier this year, explaining that she particularly enjoys children once they reach about 18 months and begin talking.
She similarly told Bachelor Nation that both boys became easier for her once they started “moving and grooving and beginning to communicate better.” “Now I love chatting to Dawson,” she said. “Everything he says is endearing and adorable and hilarious. It’s just awesome to see them become little people.”