20-year-old entrepreneur's response when parents try to ground them after charging rent is iconic

Parents often reprimand their children for their well-being. But sometimes, the line between taking care of the child and forcing authority over their personal space gets blurred. A business owner, u/AggravatingBat314, shared a post explaining how their parents tried to ground them after a misunderstanding. However, the 20-year-old, who had been paying rent for the last four to five years, had a clever retort prepared. “My parents have been charging rent since I was 16. I have a small company that makes me about $60,000 a year. My parents said that since I was earning adult money, I could take in adult responsibilities,” the entrepreneur said.

The entrepreneur noted that the rent charged by their parents was only $300. They explained they lived a lifestyle as a tenant, not as their kid. “I considered my room to be completely mine after that. I kept it tidy because I like it that way. But they had no say in when I cleaned it. When I did my laundry, other than to not do it at a time when I would disturb the family for example 3 AM. I bought food for myself and ate when I wanted,” the post read. The parents felt their child was distancing from the family by focusing solely on themselves and remaining isolated.

The post further explained that the parents got upset when their child planned a trip with their friends as it clashed with a family dinner. “When I got back, they said I was behaving badly by not being around for a family gathering. I said it was my last spring break in university and that I was not responsible for their schedule." The parents then tried to ground the person. “They said I was grounded and I laughed and said good luck with that,” read the post.

When the person's grandfather intervened to smooth things over, he explained why it was wrong to be rude to one's parents. However, the entrepreneur had a fair case to plead.“I asked him how much rent he charged my mom when she lived at home. He said it was ridiculous to think he would charge his kids rent. I told him that I had been paying rent for four years." What followed next was an argument between the grandfather and the parents. “When he came out, he said that I need to treat my parents with more respect but that since they are my landlords, they do not have a say over how I spend my time." 

The business owner then decided to make a decision and left their parents’ house. “I’m avoiding my parents for now. I took everything important to me and left $600 for the last two months I had planned on being there,” they wrote. Commenters rallied around the person, suggesting that the parents need not be so controlling and could have been more understanding. u/Alix_Senters said, “You pay rent and support yourself financially - at that point, you’re essentially a tenant with the right to come and go as you please. It’s bizarre that they’re trying to ground an adult who contributes to the household.” u/Odd_Wlecome7940 wrote, “They crossed a line they drew in the sand. They treated you like an adult with all the adult responsibilities, then wanted to treat you like a kid when it suited them.”