Mom Makes Her 9-Year-Old Twin Daughters Pay Rent and Utilities 

A mom is explaining why she makes her 9-year-old twin daughters pay rent and utilities at home.

LaToya Whitfield said she started this unusual parenting method a month ago after her daughters, Grace and Autumn, asked for “expensive” dinners out twice in one week, according to SWNS.

“I asked the girls what they wanted for dinner, and they said hibachi, which can cost quite a bit,” recalled Whitfield, 38, an HR recruiter and owner of a custom T-shirt business in Atlanta.

“So I told them I didn’t have any more hibachi money this week and that I would have to sell more T-shirts or do something else to make it,” she continued. “One of the girls said, ‘Didn’t you just get paid?’ and I realized, ‘Oh, that’s how you think this works.’ “

Whitfield decided it was time to teach her daughters some “real-life lessons about money and hard work.” She used Canva to create a “lease” to make it feel official. Along with $80 for rent, the lease says the twins are responsible for paying $10 for electricity and $5 for WiFi and gas.

To help pay their bills, the girls get a “paycheck” every Friday. They cash it at the household “bank” before paying their “landlord” mom.

If they don’t pay, they face “eviction” — to the sunroom in their home, which Whitfield calls “the streets.” The girls are also fined for things like not cleaning up or having messy bedrooms.

On the other hand, Grace and Autumn can earn rewards for good grades and positive behavior.

“I just want to plant the seed for all of the lessons they are learning during this time,” Whitfield said about the family’s payment system.

Already, she’s seeing positive results.

“The girls are very responsible and self-sufficient,” Whitfield said. “They can cook on a gas stove by themselves and deep clean their bathrooms. They even keep track of their own grades.”

Ultimately, Whitfield hopes her daughters will carry these money and life lessons into adulthood so they understand financial responsibility and the value of a dollar.

“I hope that this is something they’ll remember when they grow up and have to make decisions on their own,” she said. “I hope they not only learn, but remember this experience forever.”