‘Stop Saying I Starve My Kids’: A Mom’s Video Defending Her Decision to Split One Ice Cream Cone Five Ways Has Divided the Internet

A video shared to X by the account @BasedBandita showed an unidentified woman explaining her decision to split a single small ice cream cone among herself and her four children.

"So today we had ice cream day. And whether y'all get it or not, Dairy Queen's small ice cream was $3.89," she said.

She asks why she should buy separate cones for each child given the size and cost of the smaller options. "Now why should I buy all four of my kids their own ice cream? Like, do you see how huge this small ice cream is? Buying all four of them an ice cream just to waste it, when I can think smart and save money?" she said.

The woman seems to be aware of the criticism over her choices, so she addresses them in the video itself. "Without wasting money and being a dummy when it's small, ice cream can feed all five of us, as you can see, and probably some more," she said.

She ended the video with a direct response to her critics. "So please stop saying I starve my kids and mind your business and start saving money and thinking smart without trying to be funny," she said.

The video drew both sympathy and pushback in the comments. One commenter wrote, "Sounds like she's trying to live within her means, and do something nice for her kids. I applaud her ingenuity and frugality."

One user offered a different reading, writing, "Maybe it's hers, and she's sharing with the kids? Or perhaps you can choose to see nothing wrong, with a family sharing something together."

@BasedBandita also shared a second video featuring the same woman, this time describing an incident at a skate park where she said she did not have enough tickets for her children.

She photocopied her own ticket four times to get her kids into the venue and also obtained free food during the visit. "I have no words left. What are your thoughts on this mom splitting up a single ice cream cone for her kids and herself?" the account wrote. The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify this account or determine whether the venue was aware of or took action regarding the ticket copies.

Others were not so happy about the woman's parenting style and values. "This is the single most problem, selfishness in every way. I see it all the time. Need to change the culture. You're teaching your children the same, and on it goes," one commenter wrote.

One more defended the woman by relating to low-income families, writing, "That's fine, moms have been saving money by doing stuff like this for a very long time. Kids that grew up poor but had honest parents know what's up."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in either video. The details above reflect the accounts as shared on X by @BasedBandita. The identities of the woman and her children have not been confirmed.