By now, we've all seen the satirical back-to-school photos of parents celebrating their children being out of the house after the long summer months. We've also heard horror stories of parents who made it clear to their kids that they were going to be kicked out the moment they turned eighteen.
But charging rent to adult children, some parents are now arguing, could be beneficial to high school graduates.
One couple in particular, @bar7ranch on TikTok, argued that they were teaching their daughter responsibility and money management skills by renting her room to her for $200 per month starting on June first after high school graduation.
They also offered the alternative to charge more if their daughter wanted her parents to continue buying groceries for her, but if she was providing her own food, she'd only have to pay the $200 base rent.
You can watch the full video here:
The video had TikTok deeply divided between a teaching opportunity and providing for their family.
Some completely understood the importance of financial literacy and appreciated what the parents were doing.
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
But others felt that family should always be made to feel welcome, no matter the lessons attached.
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
@bar7ranch/TikTok
In a follow-up video, the couple was sitting in their car, prepared to respond to some of the points that were repeatedly commented on in their first video.
One key suggestion was for the parents to save all of the money that their daughter paid in rent to give back to her when she moved out. But the parents reassured their audience that they had taught their daughter about saving money and wanted to teach her about paying bills on time.
They also thought this was the perfect time to do so, as their daughter didn't have any other bills to pay, and she was only having to pay $200 as opposed to what she'd have to pay in the future.
You can watch the video here:
Though the parents' approach to teaching their daughter about financial responsibility was divisive, TikTok could agree that financial literacy, money management, keeping track of due dates, and maintaining a savings were all incredibly important skills for a young adult to learn.
Admittedly, all parents are going to teach their children important skills in the best way they know how, even if some other parents do not agree.
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