Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey delivered tough love to parents on The Ramsey Show on Wednesday after a caller asked how to help her 19-year-old son, who dropped out of college, works part-time at Walmart, and still lives at home without paying bills.
Ramsey Questions Why Work Ethic Was Never Taught
The caller explained her son earns $14 an hour and also collects about $10,000 a year in dividends but often burns through his money and borrows for gas.
Ramsey pressed the mother on why the young man was never pushed to develop a work ethic earlier. "What happened eight years ago when you were going to teach him work ethic and you didn't?" Ramsey asked.
Co-Host Says Parents Are Enabling Irresponsible Behavior
Co-host Dr. John Delony added that the teen's lack of responsibility makes sense because his parents cover expenses.
"He gets checks that fall from the sky every quarter. He has no rent, and he has a mom and dad who said, ‘You have to get a job.' And he goes, ‘Okay, I'll work six hours a week and y'all pay everything.'"
Both hosts argued the problem is not poor money management but parental enabling.
"The only way this changes is if you and your husband sit down and say at the end of this month, you're out," Delony said.
Ramsey agreed: "Your job is to help him have some problems. He doesn't have any reason to change his behavior."
Ramsey Calls Out Overspending, Bailouts And Unrealistic Expectations
In July, Ramsey addressed a series of callers highlighting common money pitfalls. One caller said her father blamed his daughters for his financial problems, prompting Ramsey to urge parents to set realistic boundaries and avoid saddling children with student loans they cannot afford.
Last month, another caller revealed that their adult children earned $180,000 a year yet lived paycheck to paycheck, carrying debt and waiting on loan forgiveness. Ramsey warned that parental bailouts only fueled bad habits and suggested his "matching program" as a healthier alternative.
In the same month, Ramsey also cautioned against overspending to impress others, noting that flashy purchases often disguise financial instability. He stressed that most millionaires built wealth by avoiding wasteful spending, not by trying to look rich.
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