Mom Shows Her Teens the Household Bills to Teach Them About Costs. Her Friend Says It’s Bad Parenting

A mother of two teenagers is taking a practical approach to parenting — by giving her kids a firsthand look at what it costs to run a household.

The 48-year-old mom shared on Reddit’s “Am I the A——” forum that she began showing her children the family’s monthly bills because “sometimes they do need to see how much they’re costing us as parents.”

However, her 45-year-old friend isn’t on board with the idea.

“I told her that my kids used to take long showers until we started showing them the water bill — and at least one of them started taking shorter showers so it wouldn’t cost as much,” the mom explained. “Personally, I don’t see showing them as a bad thing.”

Her friend, who is also a mother of two, accused her of making her children “anxious.” The mom disagreed, saying that she often discusses the cost of things like clothes, food, and entertainment openly with her kids.

The mother added that she and her husband “make a pretty good living,” but still feel it’s important to teach their children about real-world expenses.

Wondering if she might be in the wrong, she asked the Reddit community, “Am I the a—— for showing my kids the bills?”

One commenter replied, “Kids need to learn the value of money. They need to learn how to budget. They need to become self-sufficient adults.”

Another wrote, “It’s not only about money — it’s also about avoiding overconsumption and waste. Just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you should use more.”

A third added, “You know what will really make your friend’s kids anxious? When they’re thrown into the real world in a few years with absolutely no concept of budgeting or personal responsibility.”