Children are almost always a challenge to raise, especially once they reach those angsty teenage years. One single mother set out to teach her son a lesson about independence after he decided, at age 13, that he no longer wanted to be controlled by her.
First, she removed all of the things from his room that she had paid for. She then wrote him a letter acknowledging his desire to do what he wanted but made sure he understood the responsibilities that accompany adulthood, namely paying his own way.
A list of monthly charges was included for rent, food, electricity and Internet. She also made it clear that he was expected to perform certain household chores three times per week and if he did not comply, she would enforce a “maid fee”. She ended the letter by saying that when he decided to be her son again instead of her roommate, they could change the arrangement.
When presented with the letter, the son lost it and and ran out the door, but eventually returned and apologized to his mother. He is now trying to earn back the things she removed from his room. His mom thought the letter was not so much about discipline, as it was about teaching her son a valuable lesson about how the real world truly works.
