When this stepfather feels conflicted, he asks Reddit:
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?