A financially struggling mother’s plea for her teenage daughter to contribute a modest amount to household expenses sparks a heated debate on responsibility and family values.

Struggling to make ends meet, a mother reached out to her teenage daughter for financial assistance, requesting a modest monthly contribution of about $100 to help with household bills. Despite her daughter’s financial stability, the young adult expressed outrage at her mother’s request.

The concerned mother took to social media, questioning the appropriateness of asking her teenage daughter for help with bills. Opinions were divided, with some individuals arguing that it’s the parent’s responsibility, while others sided with the mother, believing adult children living at home should contribute in some way.

According to the mother, her daughter had been employed at a grocery store chain that provided a company discount on food items, significantly benefiting the family’s budget. The daughter, who had been attending college, was home for summer break and earning around $1,000 per month at the store. The mother shared that her daughter would contribute about $65 toward the bills and provide access to the store discount, among other perks.

Unexpectedly, the daughter quit her job at the grocery store to work alongside her boyfriend in a dead-end fast-food position. The mother now hopes for a minimum contribution of $32 per month from her daughter, who, in turn, labels her mother as “mean and horrible.”

The mother explained, “Since August, she’s worked at a well-known supermarket, earning just a bit above minimum wage and about 30 hours a week. Her employer gave her a staff discount card for a family member as well as herself, which was saving me quite a bit on the shopping.”

She continued, “I still charged her $65 a month, which I think is reasonable, considering she has been earning around $1,000 a month. She has more disposable cash than me.”

However, the daughter’s sudden decision to quit her job left her mother puzzled.

“Last week, she decided to quit her job. She had a falling out with her manager and quit on the spot. She says she hated it there, etc. To be fair, it was a stressful environment, but she seemed to be doing okay there until recently.”

The mother added, “She’s actually going to be earning less there than she was before, and to be honest, I think the main reason she quit was that she wanted to work with her boyfriend. I think it’s a bad idea, but she’s an adult. She can do what she wants. I’ve said to her since bills are going up and I won’t have access to the discount anymore. I want her to contribute more.”

Adapting to the new circumstances, the mother is now asking for $98 per month instead of $65, which is still less than what she would have saved with the discount. “But even still, she’ll be earning upwards of $650 a month. I get she needs to save, but I feel like what I’m asking isn’t unreasonable.”

Source: AWM