Teenager stunned by parents’ ‘awful’ financial demand
A 17-year-old can’t believe her parents expect her to pay back her private school tuition.
She consulted Reddit’s “Am I the A******” about her dilemma. When she was 15, her parents sent her to a private school for a couple of years, convinced she needed straightening out due to her rebellious behaviour. Now that she is more mature, they expect her to pay back thousands of dollars in school fees.
“My parents used to be pretty strict growing up,” she wrote. “When I first started secondary school, I used to be a rebellious child, which is something I have always admitted and apologised for. It is also a phase I have grown out of a pretty long time. Because of my actions, my parents decided it would be a good idea to send me to a strict private school. They think [it] improved my behaviour but in all honesty, I think I’ve just grown up. My dad first bought [sic] this up a few years ago when I was 15 that I need to pay back £15,000 for the school fees. At first, I genuinely thought he was joking but now he’s bringing it up again and again, especially now that I’m earning my own money.”
The teenager has refused to pay the money but also wonders if she should.
“I would maybe understand them if I was still misbehaving,” she explained. “But I literally get straight As, haven’t had detention in forever and never answer them back. I don’t understand why my parents are asking me to pay this money when they’re the ones who sent me there in the first place. I can’t believe I’m already in debt by my own parents and I haven’t even started college yet. Would love some input if I’m overreacting and how I should approach them when they bring it up again.”
Reddit users thought the parents’ request was unthinkable.
“If parents expect their children to pay them back for being parents, then they’re awful parents,” one person commented.
“Children aren’t obligated to pay for their own upbringing,” another said.
“Your parents were the ones who chose to send you to the school,” someone responded.
