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I'm just curious, but, is it unusual to make a highschooler pay rent and utilities to a parent? This seems odd to me but maybe I was raised in a bubble.
I don't know any parents who charged their high school kids rent, but I've been on C-D long enough to know it has happened. I certainly don't think it's common.
I understand parents who are just making ends meet, who look to their high school aged children to get a part time job and help with expenses. I won't criticize them for asking the kids to chip in. But to require room and board just as a character building exercise doesn't resonate with me.
If the parent is struggling financially, OK, I can see requesting a teen to get a job and pitch in. Other than that, I've never heard of it and find the idea sort of ridiculous.
Depends. I always worked. Once my dad came in to my room and there I was...counting my shoebox full of money. He was amazed at how much I had. I thought he was proud of my accomplishment, saving that much money but he had other ideas. He insisted I put it in the bank and like a good little girl I did what I was told. He opened the account for me and I dutifully gave him my money every week.
Well, Mother's Day was coming up and I decided to buy my mom a small fountain as a gift. Yes, an expensive present but I earned the money. I went to the bank and found out I could not withdraw money from my own account. I was furious. I got the paperwork to put my name on the account and went to his office. I told him I was waiting for him to sign the papers and I wasn't leaving. After some hemming and hawing, he did. I went to the bank and took out all but $5 and never put another penny in the account. He was very angry with me.
Yes, I should have known better. Should have questioned why I never got statements, etc. But I was a kid!
I did have some friends whose parents charged them and kept the money to apply towards college. Sort of a forced college savings plan.
When my Brother and I had jobs in high school we bought our own gasoline, insurance, vehicles, and clothing so our Mother would not have to. She was struggling just to pay monthly obligations so we did that much to help her not have to spend extra money on us.
We did not give her any actual cash toward those monthly obligations though and we were gone most of the time so she really didn't spend a lot on groceries either since neither of us were home often.
I was required to volunteer or have a part time job. I think that was fair.
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