Abby Connolly
In some households, teenagers are expected to get jobs and contribute to household chores or bills once they reach a certain age. But how would you feel if your parents took away your entire paycheck?
One woman recently decided to pull her son away from his dad’s house and move him into hers when she found out her ex-husband was forcing him to surrender his paychecks to help him pay the bills.
She’s 40 and has a 16-year-old son named Jayden with her ex-husband. She and her ex divorced ten years ago, and he has since remarried.
Jayden started living with his dad and stepmom two years ago because he started high school, which is much closer to his dad’s house. He stays with them on weekdays and then stays with her during weekends.
“Jayden mainly goes to school, plays football with his friends, and works part-time at the local McDonald’s,” she explained.
“Being honest, neither Jayden’s Dad nor I make a lot of money. We both live comfortably, but we certainly can’t afford luxuries. That’s why Jayden wanted to work; he needed money to go out with his friends.”
When Jayden first started working, he told her that his dad and stepmom had a rule where he had to give them a bit of money to help them pay the household bills. At first, she didn’t mind that rule since she knew it was important that Jayden learned financial responsibility.
But then, as time went on, she learned that her ex and his wife were taking about 70% of each of Jayden’s paychecks every pay period, which really upset her and Jayden.
“Yes, Jayden is still a kid and should help out from time to time, but he works so hard and deserves more of his own money,” she said.
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