A letter from a mother to her d.i.s.respectful son: “If you think you can support yourself, here’s your bills”
It is not easy to deal with an adolescent child and, sooner or later, clashes with parents will come. Children who go through the adolescent period want to feel autonomous and also begin to detach themselves from the ideas of their parents in order to demonstrate their independence. Obviously, up to the age of 18, they depend exclusively on their parents, and perhaps they need to learn a little more respect for those who put food into their mouths.
Heidi Johnson is a mother who clashed with her 13-year-old son, Aaron, over very typical parent-child issues: the teenage boy lied about having done his homework, didn’t clean his room and, moreover, he replied disrespectfully to his mother. During the argument, the teenager mentioned that he could now earn some of his own money through Youtube, so his mom came up with a very creative punishment.
It can be extremely frustrating for a parent to have to continuously deal with this trait, but one mom’s letter to her 13-year-old son – where she addresses the fact he thought it acceptable to make his own rules – has gone viral.
The mom, who goes by the name Estella Havisham on Facebook, felt her teenager needed to learn a lesson. Said lesson soon spread like wildfire online …
When Estella Havisham decided to try and teach her young son a lesson concerning acting his age (literally), she only intended it to be visible to her friends and family on Facebook.
However, what she didn’t know is that the “public” viewing button was active on her account, so her letter was shared quickly. Before she knew it, it had spread all over the world, garnering viral status as people from the four corners of the earth reacted accordingly.
“Dear Aaron,
Since you seem to have forgotten that you are only 13 and I’m the parent, and that you won’t be controlled, I guess you will need to learn a lesson in independence. Also, as you threw in my face that you are making money now, it will be easier to buy back all the items I bought for you in the past.
If you would like your lamp/lightbulbs or access to the internet, you will need to pay your share of costs:
Rent: $430
Electricity: $116
Internet: $21
Food: $150
Also you will need to empty the trash Mon, Wed & Friday as well as sweep and vacuum those days. You will need to keep your bathroom clean weekly, prepare your own meals and clean up after yourself. If you fail to do so I will charge you a $30 maid fee for every day I have to do it.
If you decide you would rather be MY CHILD again instead of a roommate, we can negotiate terms.
Love,
Mom”
In the letter, Heidi clearly told her son that if he is truly able to make money and be independent, then he will need to start seriously contributing to the household expenses. Fixed costs listed were: $ 430 for rent, $ 116 for electricity, $ 21 for internet use, and $ 150 for food. Among the various household tasks detailed were: taking out the trash, dusting and vacuuming on set days, keeping the bathroom clean and cleaning it thoroughly, preparing his own meals, and cleaning up immediately afterwards. Did the young man want to be independent? Well, this is what independence actually means!
In the letter, the mother also specifies that, if the son would like to reconsider and would prefer to go back to being her son, rather than just a roommate, this could be negotiated.
Many users’ opinions are mixed, with many praising the mother’s educational method, while others harshly criticize it. A 13-year-old boy, on the one hand, clearly cannot take care of himself as an adult. Either way, the mother’s method worked – although Aaron’s immediate reaction was anger and rage. However, Aaron eventually calms down and apologizes to his mother; more importantly, he understood how wrong he was to lie to her. From now on he has vowed not to do that again. What can we say… a life lesson learned!
Source:wtvideo.com, facebook.com, en.newsner.com
