Dad withdraws kids' financial support after they fail to do their house chores, he uses the money to hire a maid to clean the house instead: ‘I found a solution’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 29, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

Whether we like it or not, as parents, every single action we take and decision we make affects our children and teaches them important life lessons. How to save money, how to clean the house, how to become good partners–Your kids look up to you for everything, so it's important to be mindful of that when making choices you otherwise wouldn't think twice about.

Take the family in this Reddit story for example about how you should and should not educate your kids. A stay-at-home mom decided that her kids don't have to actually do the chores they've been given, resulting in all three of them simply ignoring everything that needs to be done around the house. That was until the husband and kids' father returned from work to find the house a mess, and discovered they all expected him to clean everything alone. He then decided to teach his kids an important lesson by withdrawing his financial support for the kids and using it to hire a maid instead. 

What would you do if you were the kids' parent? Scroll down to read the rest of the story and let us know in the comments below. After that, click here for a silly collection of hilarious Friends memes.

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  • 01
    -BASICS CLEANING CHECKLIST 00000 Wipe Door K Clean Applianc -DEEP CLEANING EXT Clean Under Appli 0000 Wipe Ceiling Fans Lights Dust Door Tops Wash Doors DITIONAL CLEANING TASKS Throws D Clean Organize tory Free
    via MIND_AND_I
  • 02
    AITA because I pay for a maid to clean the house before I come home?
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 03
    I work out of town and my wife stays home with our two teen kids. When I'm home I take care of the housework to give my wife a break.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 04
    The kids are supposed to help around the house in return for me paying for their phones and stuff. My wife chooses not to enforce that while I'm gone.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 05
    Our income is split thusly. We pay all our bills. Including the kids phones. We set aside money for retire, vacations, emergencies, etc. What is left over is split evenly between her and I. So we each have money for fun stuff separately.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 06
    For the last eight months or so she has made very little effort to keep the house clean while I'm gone. But she gets very upset if I just let it stay messy when I'm home.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 07
    She says that the kids are too busy with extracurricular activities and their jobs to help and that she gets overwhelmed. She does not work. But kids are in high school. I bought them a car
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 08
    and I pay for everything except fuel. They are responsible for getting themselves to extracurriculars and whatever else they want to do.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 09
    I told her that it wasn't fair for me to have to clean up four weeks of mess on my two weeks off. That she should be forcing the kids to do their part. She says it's too hard.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 10
    Two shifts ago I told the kids I was done paying for their phones and car bills. The car was paid for cash so there isn't a loan or anything. Just insurance, registration, maintenance, that stuff.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 11
    I took the money and I pay for a maid to come and clean up the day before I get home. That way I can just maintain it until I leave. My wife is mad that the kids have to pay their own bills, and that
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 12
    I'm "cheating" by paying someone else to do my chores. I'm not. I'm paying someone to do their's. I found out she's been giving the kids money out of her share to
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 13
    pay their bills. She is now mad that I have money for my hobbies but she does not. I don't really care. She needs to do her part and clean up and parent. AITA?
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 14
    pickled-chickens • 17h ago What does your wife do all day?
    via pickled-chickens
  • 15
    No-Mortgage3741 OP • 17h ago She has hobbies. And she volunteers a lot.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 16
    Agitated-Stress870 • 15h ago • INFO: you said that you do the housecleaning when you're home to "give your wife a break." What are you giving her a break from if she doesn't work, doesn't parent, and doesn't clean?
    via Agitated-Stress870
  • 17
    No-Mortgage3741 OP ⚫ 8h ago • This whole thing is pretty recent. Started last February.
    via No-Mortgage3741
  • 18
    tinyd71 18h ago P◆perintendant [60] If you don't want to return to a messy home, that seems reasonable. If no one else is going to ensure that the home you return to isn't messy, it sounds like you've found a workable solution.
    via tinyd71
  • 19
    Assuming you gave your kids a heads up that their free ride was coming to an end, giving them an opportunity to step up their game (and they then didn't!), your solution (to me) is creative and effective. NTA
    via tinyd71
  • 20
    NoRazzmatazz564 • 18h ago • Part ipant [3] NTA. In fact it's a great solution. If the kids want the money they can clean instead, if your wife wants the money she can get them to and clean as well. Your solution gets you a clean house and keeps them able to control their part of finance and cleaning.
    via NoRazzmatazz564
  • 21
    No_Lavishness_3206 • 18h ago • A hole Aficionado [10] NTA. She chooses not to do the work. She chooses not to make your kids do chores. She chooses to pay them to do nothing. It's all on her.
    via No_Lavishness_3206
  • 22
    Kukka63 • 17h ago Professor Emeritass [72] NTA, paying for a maid to clean is an excellent idea since your wife is unbelievably lazy. What on earth does she do all day????? She also sets such a bad example to your children by doing nothing and expecting you to sort everything out.
    via Kukka63
  • 23
    • prevknamy 16h ago • ESH. why on earth are you focusing so much on the kids and punishing them financially??? Your wife is a STAY AT HOME WIFE. Therefore it is her job to do all of the house hold chores. Period. That's her job. If you choose to help her, fine but that's
    via prevknamy
  • 24
    HER job. If she wants to outsource some of her job to the kids then she can do that. If she chooses not to then she needs to do ALL of the housework herself. If she refuses to do her job then she needs to pay
    via prevknamy
  • 25
    for the cleaners. Take the house cleaning money out of her fun money and stop harassing the kids. Just support her in whatever help she might ask of them
    via prevknamy
  • 26
    No-Mortgage3741 OP 16h ago So I should just give them money to do nothing? Pass.
    via No-Mortgage3741

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stay at home mom family drama cleaning aita kids house mother reddit story family feud maid chores family Reddit money children Father
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