Many adults realize that being an adult looks a lot simpler when seen from the perspective of a child who hasn’t experienced it yet.
There’s a great house to live in that has things like meals ready to eat and endless internet access. But the way those things got there is way more complicated than a kid might think.
A mom, trying to show her rude son that “you have to work for what you want,” came up with a funny way to teach her 13-year-old a lesson about adult responsibilities. Keep reading to find out how this clever mom gave her son a taste of the “real world” to help him learn!
In 2015, Heidi Johnson was struggling with her rebellious 13-year-old son Aaron, who she describes as someone who “wants the benefits of being older but doesn’t want to deal with the responsibilities that come along with it.”
Back then, Aaron was making just a little bit of cash as a YouTuber, and he didn’t want to listen to his mom when she told him to do his homework. The young rebel marched out of her room and shouted that he was “a free person” because he was “earning money.”
A single mom decided to write a tough love letter to Aaron about his behavior and posted it on Facebook. Now, almost 10 years later, that post has gone viral again!
“It looks like you’ve forgotten that you’re just 13 and I’m the parent. Since you don’t want to be told what to do, I think it’s time for you to learn about independence,” Johnson says in the “roommate contract.” “Since you mentioned that you’re making money now, it’ll be simpler for you to buy back all the things I’ve gotten for you before.”
She adds, “If you would like you lamps/lightbulbs or access to the internet, you will need to pay your share of the costs.”
The letter stated that Aaron needed to cover the rent and utility bills. It also mentioned that he had to prepare his own meals and regularly tidy up the house.
Johnson then signs off, “Love, Mom.”
Repossession
The mother, who resides in Venice, Italy, mentioned that when her son found the note on his door, he crushed it, threw it on the ground, and angrily left the apartment.
The kid just needed a little time to think, and she also needed some time to get back some of her things from his room.
After he had some time to reflect on his mistakes, he wondered how he could begin to earn back his privileges. She mentioned that he even gathered things from his room that she had forgotten about. Once he handed those items to her, he asked what steps he could take to regain his privileges.
“It was never really about having him pay me back; it was to help him gain an appreciation of what things cost. He recognized right away that he couldn’t pay rent, utilities or for food,” she explains.
People on the internet flooded the comments of her post, complimenting her imaginative way of teaching.
One netizen writes, “Great Job. Nothing in the agreement is cruel punishment but will teach him a lesson he will carry through life.”
I understand that you might not want compliments or criticism, but I just have to say, as another mom, that I think you’re doing an incredible job. You’ve really helped your son have the chance to learn and develop.
“Bravo to you for acting like a parent instead of a maid,” writes a third.
‘Real world’
In reply to some people who said she was embarrassing her son, Johnson made another post where she explained that she feels “no shame” about what she said.
“A teenager is about to test their boundaries,” she begins. “They’re at that age where one foot is stepping into being an adult, while the other is still stuck in being a kid. I can’t let this young person head off to college or start working with the mindset of ‘I’ll do it whenever I feel like it’ when a boss asks them to finish a task. That’s just how the real world works.”
Johnson adds, “Nothing comes free. Someone is making a sacrifice somewhere down the line.”
How do you feel about this mom’s unique way of raising her kids? We’d love to hear your opinions, and don’t forget to share this story so we can see what others think too!
