Working mom sparks parenting debate when her entitled 27-year-old daughter demands a ride to her overnight job for over a year: ‘Now I am the taxi to work and back’

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 26, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

Moms love their children, but there are times when the 'light of your life' really grinds your gears. 

A similar sentiment boiled over onto Reddit when a mother drew a strong parenting boundary line with her 27-year-old daughter. After helping her daughter out in a pinch, this mom found herself beholden to her daughter's schedule. With both women living together, sharing a car, and working full-time jobs, tensions flared when the daughter started expecting rides to and from work. Normally, that would be no big deal for a parent, right? 

Except, the problem was, the daughter worked the night shift. 

She needed to be dropped off at work at midnight and picked up the next morning just before Mom's normal day shift. If ruined sleep schedules weren't enough to make this mom and daughter relationship feel the strain, the adult daughter doubled down on her entitlement, guilt-tripping her mom into maintaining a taxi driver schedule that was running her ragged. 

Should a parent be beholden to their kid's demands 10 years after they've graduated high school? In my opinion, if you've been an adult long enough to have your own health insurance, to do your own taxes, and have a real job where you receive a salary check from a boss, you shouldn't be begging mommy or daddy for a ride to the office. 

Grow up and figure it out; you're an adult. 

However, family situations, as always, are more nuanced than that. And as every parent understands, when your kid needs you, it does not matter how old they are, you're going to step into the void to do whatever is possible to help them. There's a point when that generosity turns into enablement. You can be the judge of this next situation after reading all of the details below. Was the mom in the right to continue driving her daughter to work? Or is it high time this adult woman learns how to use Uber, public transit, or a marketplace app to try and find an affordable means to get herself 2 miles down the street to work? 

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    via Getty Images (Motortion)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITA for wanting my 27yr old to get themselves to work?

    Daughter is 27yrs old, blew the engine in her car after a year of me telling her to put oil in it, and now I am the taxi to work and back, she works overnights,
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • 630pm to 5am, Wed - Sun, about 2 miles from home. I have been driving her for a year now.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • She decided that rather than fix the car she already owns, she wants to buy a new car. A $45k kia that is like a unicorn of a car int he specific model, color, engine package etc. she wants.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • She will also need to put down $8k on this car with an $850 payment. I think it's a dumb way to throw away enough money to buy a house with, but what do I know.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • Cheezburger Image 10633029120
    via Getty Images Signature (milanvirijevic)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I am TIRED. I work 9-5 M-F. Every single weekend I'm up getting her early in the morning, messing up my entire sleep schedule and day.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • Last night she wanted me to pick her up at 11:30pm. I tried, real hard, to stay up until that time. I couldn't. When I woke up to go get her it felt like I was dr k, but it was just me being so so tired.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • We drove home mostly in silence until she asked me had I fallen asleep. I said ya I did, that I tried to stay up but couldn't and that I really really really hope she buys ANY car really soon so I
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • can get a break from this because at the end of the week I am worn out an then have to go back to my job M-F.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • This upset her, she cut me off an talked over me (a normal occurrence) and told me she tries to be mindful of my sleep and will usually push through until 5pm because she doesn't want to wake me up. I
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • had had enough. I stopped the car in the middle of the f'n road. In park, we sat there for a good 15mins before she finally asked me why we were sitting there. I said,
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • "if you had the patience to wait all this time to ask me that, why can't you let me finish talking before you talk over me with what you have to say?"
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • Then, silence until we got home. Each interaction like this feels like it puts distance between us. I don't have a problem picking her up, I do have a problem
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • being expected to do things as if she were 12yrs going to soccer practice instead of 27yrs old going to work.
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • Am I the AH for trying to set grown up boundaries?
    via no_loans_ne_more1
  • Active-Anteater1884 There's no polite way to say this. What's wrong with you? Why on God's green earth would you put up with this type of behavior? If your
    via Active-Anteater1884
  • daughter can save for an... I can't believe I'm saying this... $45,000 Kia, she can take a little longer time saving and spend her own money on an Uber to get to work. Or a bike. Or her
    via Active-Anteater1884
  • own darn feet. You are old enough to have a child approaching 30. Have you ever used the word "No" before?
    via Active-Anteater1884
  • needofanap • She works two miles from home? She needs a good pair of shoes not a car.
    via needofanap
  • NTA. She won't solve her problem as long as you keep helping her. Let her spend her own money on ride share or walk.
    via needofanap
  • plsletmenap NTA but you gotta cut the umbilical cord babe. I'm also 27 and my car is on its last leg. No way in h I am I about to get a brand new $45k car - Kia no less. What I am a
    via plsletmenap
  • doing is saving up and working extra to get a used Honda Fit or similar USED tiny car.
    via plsletmenap
  • Livid-Biscotti6207. You really need to ask for permission to tell your twenty seven year old grown adult daughter that she needs to find her own way to work?
    via Livid-Biscotti6207
  • Honestly ESH because you've been doing this for a YEAR and also you apparently raised her like this, so why wouldn't she expect you to keep catering to her.
    via Livid-Biscotti6207

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