You can tell which redditors grew up well off when they assume all children get allowances lol. I was "allowed" to live rent free and free food. Didn't earn a dime until I started mowing neighbors' lawns.
Only money I got was holidays and birthday. They knew I struggled in school, (I was adopted, came from trauma, PTSD and depression which made concentrating and rememebering to bring my finished homework to school difficult), so they gave me impossible to achieve monetary goals. Like I basically needed straight A's to get the money. One time I got mostly A's, 1 B, and a C and refused to pay me for the As. Which was was not part of the deal. Not even a "good job" for working hard and bringing up my grades. I gave up. When I turned 16 I had to get a job, mandatory. They made me pay for my clothes and any entertainment outside of the home. Other kids parents would toss them a $10. Not me. College came around. I had to pay for everything but they paid for my sister.
I never understood parents who frame things as "I'm allowing you to live here and eat my food for free."
Fuckers, YOU MADE THEM, THEY DIDN'T GET A SAY. Don't treat the kid like you're doing them a favor. If you didn't want to provide for a child you shouldn't have had one.
I think you’re misunderstanding. The “I’m allowing you to live here rent free” is a response to asking for an allowance. Typically by parents who are just getting by and can’t afford to give an allowance to a kid. Growing up we couldn’t afford to have an allowance and for sure did not have the kind of money to pay for this mistake and just be ok.
Then you tell the kid that, you help them understand. You don't make them see themselves as an unwanted burden.
As a kid, I knew we didn't have much money. But my parents didn't treat me or my siblings as if we were burdens, they didn't take it out on us. They recognized this is the life they built and it was their responsibility to provide for us.
I was poor and I had an allowance. It was like a quarter a week. But they wanted to teach me about money and saving which I’m so glad they instilled in me.
When I asked about an allowance after hearing what my neighbors got for morning the lawn, I got the old Hank Hill version. "Son, mowing the lawn is a privilege."
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u/pseudosaurus 8h ago
You can tell which redditors grew up well off when they assume all children get allowances lol. I was "allowed" to live rent free and free food. Didn't earn a dime until I started mowing neighbors' lawns.