Weird Context: it’s getting clear to me everyday how the American mind cannot think without involving Capitalism in their ideas.
I hear that even American parents are asking their teenage children for rent. Which is kind of weird to me considering how most cultures that I know of encourage kindness and social support. I might be biased here as I am not American and don’t have a deep experience with Americans beyond online interactions and news and articles about them.
Actually, this was a thing in the states for a bit by way of Oxygen Bars. Haven’t seen one in a couple years though.
Prefix: American
Have worked with teams remotely over the world. When comparing the working styles of the different teams the best description I could give is “we’re the result of bloodthirsty capitalism”.
I would also say that the rent thing isn’t really trying to extort money from your child. It’s more about teaching them about finances and budgeting.
parents asking their teenage children for for rent
German here. I enjoy bashing US Americans as much as the next one, but paying rent to your parents is something I had to do after finishing school with 19 (did a social year first and then went to uni and had to share my Bafög). And a lot of people I knew back then, had the same situation at home. At least for families with low income this seemed to be not out of the ordinary.
to your parents is something I had to do after finishing school with 19
When they get old and ask you to wipe their arses, ensure you ask them to pay you.
It’s a bit of a cultural thing in some ways. A bit of a privilege/necessity thing as well.
I would find it unimaginable to pay my parents rent, charge them rent or charge my kids rent. We’ve never struggled to survive financially. My parents never even held me to doing chores, etc. I can see the logic of everyone living together contributing to the household(through money or chores or whatever). But my area of upbringing and family always treated childhood as immensely protected and solely for learning and playing(same for my peers, no matter how well off or poor they were). The lesson was always there to look after yourself…so as soon as I left home at 18, I had no problem with doing my own cooking, washing, scrubbing my toilet, budgeting/saving, etc.
For what it’s worth, Americans absolutely adore talking shit about Germans.
You know why
Edit: and I definitely never had to pay rent to my parents. WTF.
