What would you do if you were a mum and your teenage daughter asked to stay at home?
If you’re like most parents, you’d probably just say yes. But what one mum in the US did was she made her daughter pay $146 each month in rent and sign a lease as well!
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Let’s take a look at what happened
When 18-year-old, Jada decided to stay at home and continue living in the same house as her mum, the latter found it as an expensive endeavour.
So she told Jada that she should pay monthly rent – about $146 per month.
Jada’s mum shared a video on TikTok captioned “When your 18-year-old decides to stay at home.” The video shows Jada signing a lease agreement for an apartment and paying $146 per month of rent.
On to having 1.5 million views, the video sparked a heated debate among users on the social media platform, with many divided over whether this mother was treating her daughter fairly. But what do you think?
One user commented on the video, “Glad my parents don’t do this to me, every friend i have who’s parents do this to “teach them a lesson” ultimately hate their parents.”
While another remarked, “My mom is the type of parent to do this which is why I’m moving out the day I graduate and never looking back.”
“i think this is valid if you put the money away in savings for your kid to use for an actual down payment on something or for college, otherwise…idk”
Meanwhile, other comments when this mum made her teen pay consisted of high remarks or options.
User Angie said, “idk why people are crapping on you this is a great thing to educate and easy to save their “rent” for their future use 🥰”
Meanwhile, another user said, “See, for me, instead of paying rent — I pay for my phone bill, hair appts, gas, clothes, etc. I feel like paying a smaller amount for more things —”
Liv Pausher also commented, “as long as you’re saving it for her when she moves out, and as long as it’s not overly aggressive (i saw a comment saying 100$ which is reasonable af)”
Response to the mum made her teen pay
In response to the “hate comments”, the woman took to TikTok again with a video where she attempted to explain her motivation for the controversial action. The mum-of-six said that when she was a teen, she was a single mum and had to fight for everything she has.
She didn’t want her children to depend on her and wanted to prepare them for the real world. The mum made her teen pay rent saying that she was teaching her children valuable life lessons.
“That’s the only bill pays – no car payment, no insurance, no cellphone bill,” she said. The “rent” she pays goes towards “utilities, room, food and everything else”.
View the whole ordeal on TikTok!
Will you make your teen pay for rent and bills?
As a mum, you want what’s best for your teen. But when it comes to paying rent and bills, should you make them foot the entire bill? Ok, so this mum made her teen pay rent. On the one hand, it could teach them the value of money and responsibility.
On the other hand, they may not be able to afford it – and that could put unnecessary stress on them during an already challenging time. So, what’s the right call?
There’s no easy answer, but here are a few things to consider if you are thinking of ‘copying’ this mum’s strategy.
First, take a look at your own financial situation. But, this mum made her teen pay rent. If you’re struggling to make ends meet, it’s probably not realistic to expect your teen to cover their own expenses. But if you’re comfortably covering the bills on your own, it might be something to consider.
Another thing to think about is your teen’s income. Do they have a job? If so, how much do they make? Can they realistically cover their share of the bills? If not, they may need some help from you – at least for now.
Finally, consider your teenager’s maturity level. Are they responsible for money? Do they generally make good decisions? If so, they may be ready to take on this kind of responsibility.
What do you think of this mum made her teen pay rent? Will you do the same?