Growing up dirt poor in a vast Canadian province, this iconic country-pop superstar has experienced both poverty and great wealth. Naturally, many may think that her child would be accustomed to a life of indulgence and endless wealth…but she’s never even bought him a birthday gift.
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Shania Twain has one child, 18-year-old Eja (pronounced like Asia), and throughout all of his 18 birthdays, she has never bought him a birthday gift. In fact – the only thing she’s ever given him as a present is the cake she makes him each year.
She Grew Up With Nothing
In a new interview with The Mirror, Twain explained why she has never…and probably will never give him a birthday gift.
“He’ll never know my childhood or the way I grew up – it’s like a lifetime away,” she says explaining the deep contrast between the lifestyle of each.
Shania revealed that her mom would run up the phone bill to extremes trying to get her booked for shows at different places. “It wasn’t funny at the time, as we had no money for groceries.”
She’s Able To Give Him The World
While she grew up without a good day being one where they had food on the table, her son is blessed to have parents that can afford to give him everything he needs – or would want. But it’s the latter that is a key aspect of how she parents her child.
“You have to make a real effort not to spoil your children,” she told the publication. “I have to be careful not to let him have everything he wants, so I’ve only ever baked a cake for his birthday gift.”
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Her Reasonable Approach To Wealth
“It’s all he’s known,” Twain revealed of her son’s birthdays. “He expects it.”
She went on to explain that she doesn’t like for him to have an over-the-top life filled with unused, unnecessary gifts – especially when others less fortunate could benefit from them.
“At Christmas, he’ll have only three presents. That’s not a rich man’s celebration. A lot of people would send him stuff, and I’d think, ‘How much stuff do you need?’ I tell him that anything he’s not using after a month, we’re giving to charity.”
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“There’s no point in pretending that we’re without, though – if he needs a shirt, I’ll get him a shirt. I’m not going to act poor if we’re not poor. That’s my approach and I’m just doing my best.“
What do you think of her approach to parenting? Would you do the same if you were in her shoes?
Watch the video below of her (and a stadium of people) singing happy birthday to Eja for his 14th.