Stepfather insists on charging his 8yo stepson rent to 'teach him a lesson.'
When this stepfather feels conflicted, he asks Reddit:
'AITA for charging an 8 year old rent?'
I really don’t think I’m the AH but hear me out. My stepson gets an allowance every week. This is for helping with the dishes, clean up your room with help, and be tidy. Nothing crazy. His allowance is $25. So $100 a month.
However, I want to charge the boy $20 a month for living expenses. Leaving him $80. His mother thinks there’s something wrong with that and he’s young, so his money should be his.
My intention is to teach him about money management as that’s something that’s very important to me. I have not thought about consequences if he can’t pay the “rent”. There likely wouldn’t be any.
I am the step father. For clarity, fathers out of the picture, I’m not stealing from his mother, and I’m providing the allowance. AITA?
Let's find out.
adorableaccident98 writes:
YTA for charging 'rent', however, having him put that money into a savings account - where he could see it grow - would be a better lesson. And $25 a week? At 8? Lucky kid.
mm172 writes:
YTA. Charging a kid rent is illegal, period. OP is responsible for keeping a roof over his head and providing for other basic needs until he turns 18.
It doesn't matter where the money comes from: even insinuating the kid is financially responsible for taking care of himself or bad things will happen is not okay.
eca02186 writes:
YTA. He is 8, and he is legally entitled to a place to live. He should not have the least or slightest worry about his living costs.
There are lots of ways to teach children to manage money. Talk to him about budgeting and saving, identify things he wants that he can work for over time, have age appropriate discussions of how you manage household income and expenses... Absolutely do not charge kids rent.