Single Mom Shows Teen What “Adulting” Really Means
Anyone who has ever raised teenagers knows there comes a moment when they believe they could strike out on their own and conquer this whole notion known as “adulting.” It typically comes when they grow tired of following the rules of the house. The rebellion rears its ugly head and is usually followed by something along the lines of “I’m a grown-up. You can’t tell me what to do anymore.” In reality, they are far from being able to strike out on their own and are ill-equipped and ill-prepared for what the real world has to offer. We were actually lucky with our one and only son. He didn’t go through a particularly rebellious period, nor did he threaten to run away. He didn’t ask for much and was overall a joy to live with. However, one single mom of a 13-year-old had enough when her son declared that because he was making his own money from a part-time job, she had no right to tell him what to do. He demanded to be treated like an adult. Here’s how Heidi Johnson handled the situation.
Aaron, as you might imagine, crumpled the note and challenged Heidi. Eventually, he calmed down and came to his senses. Mom says he apologized for his behavior and removed some of his electronics voluntarily offering to “earn” them back. Heidi clarified that she mainly did the exercise to prove a point. She obviously would not put her teen son out for not being able to pay rent. He was then given appropriate chores to learn responsibility and consequences for not following through. The mom says bottom line is she merely wanted to make sure he realizes when he does enter the real workforce, answering the boss with “I’ll get to it later. I don’t feel like doing that right now.” won’t be acceptable. What do you think of Heidi’s method? How have you handled similar situations with your kids?
