Being a parent to a cocky, disrespectful teenager is far from easy, and different parents have different approaches to get their children to behave.
One mom, Heidi Johnson, wrote a handwritten letter to her son, Aaron, and shared it on Facebook. She didn’t intend for the post to go viral. She didn’t even intend to make the post public. It was supposed to just be for friends to see, but she does not regret her post or the fact that it’s public.
In the letter to her 13-year-old son, Johnson reprimanded her son treating her like a “roommate.” She went on to give him an itemized bill for rent, food, etc that totaled over $700. If he was going to treat her like a roommate instead of his mom, she would do the same.
Johnson signed the note, “Love Mom,” and she truly does love her son. She followed up the post with another post explaining some backstory to the situation. She also reassured parents who were criticizing her that “I am not going to put my 13 year old on the street if he can’t pay his half of the rent. I am not wanting him to pay anything. I want him to take pride in his home, his space, and appreciate the gifts and blessings we have.”
She added that she never intended for Aaron to pay the bill. Instead, she wanted him to “gain an appreciation of what things cost.” The reason Johnson wrote the note was to make sure her son understood “what life would look like if I was not his ‘parent,’ but rather a ‘roommate.’ It was a lesson about gratitude and respect from the very beginning.”
Johnson also explained that before she wrote the note, her son had lied about doing his homework, and when she told him she was going to restrict his internet access, he responded, “Well, I am making money now.” She explained that the money he was referring to was a little bit of income he was making from his YouTube channel, but not nearly enough to pay for food and rent.
The public note has not hurt Johnson’s relationship with her son. She explained, “He and I still talk as openly as ever. He has apologized multiple times.”
Johnson has also had parents turning to her for advice since she posted the note to her son. She explains, “My post seems to have opened a door, and people feel safe coming to me and asking for advice, venting, or even just have someone bear witness to their experience by listening and opening up and sharing a piece of myself in return.”
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Hannah, your story is incredibly powerful, and I can imagine how painful that betrayal must have been. Your reaction to the hurtful discovery feels justified, given the situation. Luke’s comments were deeply disrespectful and showed a lack of compassion, especially toward someone he should value and support. His response after learning about the inheritance confirmed he wasn’t committed to your well-being but rather saw your financial gain as a means for himself.
By choosing to leave and focus on your happiness and self-worth, you demonstrated strength and resilience. Your decision to prioritize self-care, pursue activities that fulfill you, and remain firm about ending the relationship shows a commitment to creating a healthy, positive environment for you and your children. Even if others might suggest alternative ways of handling things, staying true to yourself and ensuring that you and your kids are in a loving, supportive atmosphere is a powerful choice.
If anything, this experience has given you a renewed sense of your value and the understanding that a relationship should be a partnership rooted in respect. You handled a difficult situation with courage, and sharing your journey might even inspire others going through similar hardships to recognize their worth.
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