Person wants to charge teen son rent because he started earning $3,000 a month, asks if they crossed a line

When we are young, our parents single-handedly take care of all our responsibilities, ensuring the well-being of the family. Besides financial support, they also take charge of household chores, provide mental and emotional backing, and guide us through life while fostering moral values and maintaining healthy relationships. However, as we age and take each step towards achieving independence, our parents gradually expect us to step up to all responsibilities. Similarly, a woman, who goes by u/eunixradjaiq on Reddit, revealed how she wanted her teen son to help with the house rent as he began making decent money from live streaming.

The woman revealed that her 17-year-old son had been doing great in his career and could upgrade his room into a proper streaming studio all by himself. He purchased multiple monitors, TVs, and top live-streaming gear, which were pretty expensive. "He's pulling in around $3000 a month, which is really impressive for his age," she shared in the post. Initially, the woman assumed her son was exploiting his monthly allowance, but when she checked his bank account, it proved otherwise. "He didn't actually tell me that he was making money until I pressed him, which was weird, but he came clean and showed me his Kick and Twitch profiles," the mother added. 

Considering her son's financial independence, the woman shared that she wanted him to contribute a small amount to the house rent. "Something comparable to what a 2-bedroom should go for, given he has 500 sq ft for his room, an ensuite, and a lounge for his sole use. I see it as a way to teach him about the responsibilities of adulthood and managing finances," she revealed. However, her wife had a different perspective on the whole thing. She said they should not ask their teenage son to pay rent, as it was their duty to provide for him. In response, the woman suggested that they could put away his house rent money for future use, but nothing could convince her wife.

"This has led to some pretty heated discussions between us, with my wife accusing me of being too harsh and not appreciating our son's youth. On my end, I feel like I'm just being realistic and preparing him for the real world," the woman shared. Further, she sought advice from people on the platform since she wanted her son to take up some responsibilities but, at the same time, acknowledged that he isn't technically an adult. Meanwhile, reacting to the post, u/mysterious_salary741 commented, "My dad used to claim me, and then we would figure out what my return would have been, and he paid me that because it made more sense for him to claim me. But I was working part-time at 15 and a half and off before I turned 18, and this was back in the early 80s, so it has likely changed a lot."

On the other hand, u/pg529 shared, "You are wrong. In this economy, just let your kid get ahead instead of trying to profit off of him. You want to teach him about adult responsibilities; talk to him about what he wants his future to look like, help him understand what that would cost by creating a budget together, and educate him on the importance of investing and how consistent investment at his age and beyond could allow him to have financial freedom."