AITAH For Demanding My Teenager Pay Rent In High School

I never expected a parenting decision to blow up my family group chat like this. Last month, I sat my 17-year-old down and told him he’d need to start paying $200/month in rent if he wanted to keep living under our roof after graduation. Cue the shocked Pikachu faces from my in-laws, my sister’s “you’re traumatizing him!” texts, and my kid’s dramatic eye-rolls. But here’s why I’m not backing down – and why I need unbiased opinions on whether I’m actually the villain here.

The Rent Ultimatum

It started when I caught my son sneaking back in at 3 AM on a school night – again. His excuse? “I’m basically an adult, you can’t control me.” That’s when it hit me: he wants adult privileges without adult responsibilities. The next morning, I laid out the new rules:

• $200/month starting June (his graduation month)
• No rent if enrolled full-time in college
• Discounts for chores beyond his usual ones

My husband thinks I’m being too harsh, but I watched my nephew live rent-free until 26 while working part-time at a gaming store. That’s not happening here.

Family Backlash Explodes

Within 24 hours, my mother-in-law called sobbing about how I’m “stealing his childhood.” My sister forwarded articles about how this causes trust issues. Even my usually quiet BIL chimed in: “You realize he’ll just move out, right?”

But here’s what they’re missing:

• He already works 15 hrs/week at Smoothie King
• His only expenses are fast food and Fortnite skins
• I’m putting all his rent money into a secret savings account for his future

Financial Literacy Matters

When I was his age, my parents covered everything – then dumped me into adulthood clueless about budgeting. I didn’t know how to:

• Calculate hourly wages after tax
• Prioritize bills over wants
• Negotiate with landlords

This isn’t punishment; it’s practice. We even built a mock budget together showing how his $200 fits into our actual mortgage ($1,800) and utilities. His mind was blown that WiFi doesn’t magically appear.

The Emotional Fallout

Week one was rough. He called me a “capitalist monster” (thanks, AP Gov class) and threatened to live with his more “understanding” aunt. But by week three? He asked if mowing the lawn could count toward rent. Progress.

The hard truth? Parenting isn’t about being liked. My job is to prepare him, not coddle him. Though I’ll admit – hearing “I get why you’re doing this” last week made me ugly-cry in the laundry room.

What Experts Say

I dove into research to back my stance. Surprise – multiple studies show teens with financial responsibilities:

• Develop better money habits by 22 (National Bureau of Economic Research)
• Are 27% less likely to need parental help post-college (Journal of Family Psychology)
• Report higher self-esteem from contributing (Child Development Institute)

Even Dave Ramsey advocates for teen rent… though maybe don’t cite him at Thanksgiving dinner.

Your Verdict?

So here’s where I need honest opinions. Am I:

• The AH for charging rent during pivotal teen years?
• Justified in teaching real-world skills early?
• Somewhere in between?

More importantly – if you’ve done this, how’d it turn out? Did your kid resent you? Did they thank you later? I’m all ears (and slightly terrified of being wrong). Drop your thoughts below – just maybe don’t @ my mother-in-law.

Final Thoughts

Parenting feels like building a plane mid-flight while passengers (read: relatives) yell cockpit instructions. Maybe this rent plan crashes and burns. Maybe in 10 years, my kid will host a podcast about how I emotionally scarred him. But right now? I’m betting on him learning that adulthood isn’t all autonomy – it’s also accountability.

PS: If you’re considering this, my DMs are open for solidarity. Bonus points if you’ve got creative chore-for-rent swap ideas beyond “clean the gutters.”