Teaching children about money is never easy an easy thing, but one mum, who charges her daughter rent while she's living away studying at university, has sparked a serious debate about parenting.
The mum explained how her uni student daughter is going away for a month, but has decided to continue charging her the £100 despite being on holiday - as she "wouldn't be able to stop paying her mortgage if she went away".
While the parent insists that her daughter earns a good wage working part-time as well as receiving her student loan, other parents were quick to oppose the mum's ethos.
Taking to Mumsnet for advice, the mum wrote: "My daughter is currently at university and working part-time some months, she earns a good wage on top of her student loan and some months she doesn't.
"When she started university she wasn't working so we agreed she would give us £100 a month. Because her wage changes so much we've never changed this."
"Her boyfriends family live in another town from us and she is about to go stay with them for a month while she is off uni."
Explaining the predicament, she added: "My husband and I can't decide if we should still charge her the £100 while she is away.
"In some ways it feels unfair if she is not here, but my husbands reasoning is it's teaching her real life that if we went away for a month, we couldn't phone our mortgage company and not pay them just because we won't be there."
Other parents were quick to slam the mum's idea, arguing she shouldn't be charging her daughter in the first place - regardless of the holiday.
One wrote: "No, she's not there so she shouldn't have to pay anything. She's not 'renting' a room off you, she's paying board So not there, no pay That's how I see it."
Another added: "No, of course she shouldn't pay when she's not there. That's not at all comparable with you having to continue to pay your mortgage when you are on holiday, that's a ridiculous argument by your husband."
Meanwhile, a third wrote: "I can't believe you charge at all if she's a uni student so no I wouldn't charge."
Other parents supported the mum's decision, agreeing that she should be contributing at home.
One person said: "Of course she should. £100 is nothing to contribute and it does teach valuable lessons. The replies on this are hilarious."
Another wrote: "If she was in student accommodation, rent is payable every month, regardless of holidays or not using the property and it costs an awful lot more than £100/month."
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