Mom Charges Her 7-Year-Old Son Rent and Other Bills to Teach Him Responsibility

Parents ultimately want the best for their kids, and they want them to succeed in life. This can look like many different things when it comes to parenthood, and for this mother, it looks a little bit like teaching her son life lessons.

We have all said at least once that we don't learn basic life skills, like money handling, in school, and that it is something important that parents have to teach their children. Making sure your kids understand the value of money and what it means to budget or pay bills is something a lot of parents have to do.

This Florida mother went viral on TikTok for sharing what she called a "parenting hack" that worked out very well for her 7-year-old son. She shared on TikTok the chore list that she gives him, the payment he receives for it, as well as what she charges him for bills.

It seems that people have mixed opinions on this mother and what she's trying to teach her son. Some people say this is extreme and that he is too young to worry about bills or paying rent, while others agree that this is a great skill to teach him at a young age.

Let's look into this story and see exactly what this mom does for her son.

Here's the famous mother.

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Okay, so here's the story. She's been doing it for two months.

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She pays him a dollar per day.

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She charges him for the bills at the end of the month.

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She leaves it up to him to distribute his money between "fun" and "bills" money.

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She says she's pleased with the results.

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She doesn't use his money for bills but rather puts it back into his savings.

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The task list.

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Here's the visual on how she lays it out for him.

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Here's a little bit more of what she had to say.

“Other things to do include taking them along to the bank with you and setting up a bank account in their name from a young age, having them deposit some of their pocket money in there,” Talya Stone added.“Talk to them about how much things cost when you are in the shops or buying online. Discuss what you earn or how much a family holiday or day out costs. We shouldn’t shy away from these topics or feel embarrassed by them. Open, age-appropriate communication around these matters, as with other aspects of parenting, is vital.You can also ask to borrow money from them—a dollar here and there—and pay it back so they understand this concept too.”

Now let's look at the comments from people on this technique she's using. So far, not so good.

sam.ann_x

Kids should be kids.

jillianxkelly

Yes to the task list, but no to paying bills.

veronicamontejan9

A lot of people are a little on the fence themselves. Great idea, but maybe her son is too young.

casharroyo

They shouldn't be thinking about bills at such a young age.

_semajay

Some commenters actually love the idea.

katg093

It will teach him responsibility and budgeting.

jaydecapps1

Great idea so they learn from a young age.

naatpat

A suggestion of a late fee if he doesn't pay on time.

user493143603

Very true, it can only be taught at home.

lbxv15

More people loving it for responsibility and budgeting.

cyluna1117

She's receiving praise from some.

gine_joi

What do you think about this idea? I think a lot of us remember doing chores for a small amount of money to help us learn that money is earned, but many of us weren't exactly taught how to budget that money.

The comments are split because some think the son is too young, while others say it's a great idea and will teach him valuable lessons early on.

Do you think it's a smart idea, or do you think she's taking it to the extreme?