Parenting can really divide people’s perspectives.
A lot of factors come in when it comes to making the best decisions as parents. Our biases kick in, our preferences, and the image of success that we’ve drawn in our heads.
And once we realize the gravity of these perspectives and biases, these things can inadvertently conflict with the others around us. It then starts a discussion on the “right way” to raise kids that’s “healthy” and “effective”.
A mother from Oklahoma ignited a conversation when she posted a controversial video.
The video, which was uploaded on TikTok, showed her daughter signing a lease. But it was not a lease for an apartment that she will rent in the future.
She was asking her 18-year-old daughter to sign a lease agreement for staying in her home.
The video opened with the shot of the contract and the caption, “When your 18-year-old decides to stay at home.”
The video also showed her daughter signing said contract.
The video cuts to her daughter looking at the contract and eventually signing it. The caption changed to “Setting up for success.”
The lease would require her daughter to pay around $100 a month which meant that the teenager should have a steady income to satisfy these demands.
Her video became viral.
The comments section was filled with sons and daughters who disagreed with this method of parenting. The firestorm of comments had the same tone.
They said that it was one of the most effective ways to stop your children from ever talking to you. Others also pointed out that they shouldn’t be paying their parents for something that they should be doing in the first place which was to take care of their children.
The mother then posted a follow-up video to address these comments.
“I was a single mom at 16 and my parents didn’t set me up for success, I had to fight for every single thing I have,” the Oklahoma mom said at the beginning of the video.
In her perspective, asking her daughter to pay rent will make her more independent and much more responsible when it comes to finances.
She says that it was her way of lessening her children’s dependence on her and that it was a preparation for her daughter for the real world.
Some parents applauded her style of parenting.
They said she was doing well because she’s “teaching” her daughter the necessary skills once she becomes a full adult.
Others argue back that the money that her daughter is paying her could’ve been channeled towards her savings since she was bound for college. Some also said that staying with their parents gave them room to grow because they can save a lot easier.
Housing prices and goods continue to rise.
For some, this could be a way for the daughter to bunk in without shouldering oppressive rent fees. In other places, or from our personal experience, some children live with their parents while also shouldering some of the utility fees or groceries.
No matter what our perspectives are, we can only hope that this style of parenting can achieve what it plans to achieve so that her daughter can have a better chance of living a better life.
Do you agree with this style of parenting?
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