A mom from Italy, Heidi Johnson, found herself in a challenging situation when her 13-year-old son, Aaron, began boasting about his ability to make money. Frustrated by his arrogance, Johnson decided to teach her son a valuable lesson in responsibility and respect. In 2015, she wrote a stern letter to Aaron, outlining the harsh realities of independence, which she later shared on Facebook.
A hard-hitting message: Pay your way or shape up
Johnson’s letter starts bluntly: “Dear Aaron, since you seem to have forgotten you are only 13 and I am the parent, I guess you will need a lesson in independence.” She continues, reminding him that if he wants to live like an adult, he’ll need to pay for his share of the household expenses, including $430 for rent, $116 for electricity, $21 for internet, and $150 for food. She also detailed his new responsibilities, such as taking out the trash, vacuuming, and keeping his …
A mom from Italy, Heidi Johnson, found herself in a challenging situation when her 13-year-old son, Aaron, began boasting about his ability to make money. Frustrated by his arrogance, Johnson decided to teach her son a valuable lesson in responsibility and respect. In 2015, she wrote a stern letter to Aaron, outlining the harsh realities of independence, which she later shared on Facebook.
A hard-hitting message: Pay your way or shape up
Johnson’s letter starts bluntly: “Dear Aaron, since you seem to have forgotten you are only 13 and I am the parent, I guess you will need a lesson in independence.” She continues, reminding him that if he wants to live like an adult, he’ll need to pay for his share of the household expenses, including $430 for rent, $116 for electricity, $21 for internet, and $150 for food. She also detailed his new responsibilities, such as taking out the trash, vacuuming, and keeping his bathroom clean.
To drive her point home, Johnson informed Aaron that if he failed to complete these tasks, he’d be required to pay a $30 “maid fee” for each missed chore. She ended the letter by offering him a choice: either continue as “roommates” under these new terms or return to being her son and renegotiate their relationship.
Public reaction: Support and skepticism
The reaction to Johnson’s letter was overwhelmingly positive. Many people praised her approach to parenting and her efforts to curb her son’s entitlement. Commenters on her Facebook post commended her for standing firm. One user, Jeff Philips, wrote, “It’s just that time in life we all go through it to some degree, stand proud as a parent, teach them from your experience and get respect. I love it.” However, others, like Amanda Woder, expressed skepticism, sharing that similar tactics hadn’t worked with their own children.
A valuable lesson learned
The story didn’t end with the letter, though. After her post gained traction, Johnson wrote two follow-up notes on Facebook to address misconceptions. In the first, she explained that Aaron initially reacted by crumpling the letter and throwing it away. Though it was painful for her to be so tough, she knew it was necessary.
Thankfully, Aaron eventually grasped the lesson his mother was trying to teach. The two had a meaningful conversation, and Aaron began completing his chores to regain the privileges he had lost. Johnson later clarified that Aaron was making a small amount of money from YouTube, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cover rent, utilities, or food. “It was never really about having him pay me back; it was to help him gain an appreciation of what things cost,” she explained.
In her final note, Johnson emphasized that her goal was never to profit off her child but to correct his attitude and make him understand the realities of life. “This came down to a 13-year-old telling his mother she had no right to enforce certain rules and had no place to control him. I made the point to show what life would look like if I was not his parent but a roommate,” she wrote.
Though the post was initially meant to be private, Johnson now believes that sharing it was meant to happen. Most importantly, her son recognized his mistake and the importance of respecting the rules his mother set for him.
