Mom’s Note to Her “Disrespectful” Son Goes Viral After She Leaves It on His Door

Most adults know that the challenges of adulthood often appear deceptively easy when seen through the eyes of an inexperienced child.

There’s a well-maintained home to live in, complete with food on the table and unlimited internet access. Yet, the way these comforts are provided isn’t nearly as simple as a child might assume.

One mother, seeking to teach her disrespectful son that “nothing comes for free,” found a hilarious way to confront her 13-year-old who wasn’t ready for adult responsibilities. Keep reading to find out how this mom used a “real-world” lesson to discipline her son!

In 2015, Heidi Johnson was dealing with her defiant 13-year-old son Aaron, who she wrote “wants the perks of growing up without the responsibility that comes with it.”

At that time, Aaron was earning a “tiny bit of money” as a YouTuber and refused to follow his mom’s instructions about completing his homework. The young rebel stormed out of her room, declaring he was “a free person” because he was “making money.”

In response to his behavior, the single mother wrote a tough love letter to Aaron and shared it on Facebook—a post that, nearly ten years later, has gone viral again.

“Since you seem to have forgotten you’re only 13, and I’m the parent, and that you won’t be controlled, I guess you need a lesson in independence,” Johnson begins in the “roommate contract.” “As you mentioned that you’re making money now, it will be easier to buy back all the items I’ve bought for you in the past.”

She adds, “If you would like your lamps/light bulbs or access to the internet, you will need to pay your share of the costs.”

The conditions in the letter called for Aaron to pay for rent and utilities, and also required him to cook his own meals and routinely clean around the house.

Johnson then signs off, “Love, Mom.”

Repossession
The mom, who lives in Venice Italy, said when her son saw the note on his door, he crumpled it up, tossed it on the floor and stormed out of the apartment.

The kid just needed some time to think and she needed time to repossess some of the property in his room.

“Once he had time to think about his wrongs, he asked what he could do to start re-earning privileges,” she said, adding that he later collected items from his room that she missed and after giving them to her, he asked what he could do to start earning them back.

“It was never really about having him pay me back; it was to help him gain an appreciation of what things cost. He recognized right away that he couldn’t pay rent, utilities or for food,” she explains.

Online users jumped into the comments section of her post, praising her creative discipling.

One netizen writes, “Great Job. Nothing in the agreement is cruel punishment but will teach him a lesson he will carry through life.”

“I know you are not looking for praise nor disapproval but I have to let you know, as a fellow mom, that I think you are an amazing. You gave your son the opportunity to learn and grow,” shares a second.

“Bravo to you for acting like a parent instead of a maid,” writes a third.

‘Real world’
Responding to a handful of users who accused her of publicly shaming her son, Johnson shares another post explaining that she is “not ashamed” of what she wrote.”

“A teenager is going to push their limits” she starts. “They are in that developmental stage where one foot is starting to cross into adulthood, while the other is still firmly planted in childhood…I cannot send this child into college or the workforce with the attitude of ‘I’ll get to it when I get to it’ when a superior tells him to get a job done. That is the real world.”

Johnson adds, “Nothing comes free. Someone is making a sacrifice somewhere down the line.”

What do you think of this mom’s creative parenting style? Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!