Emily Brown
A mum and TikTok user has received both criticism and praise after asking her 18-year-old daughter to sign a lease to live at home.
The mum from Oklahoma revealed the document to her followers in a post on TikTok which showed she was asking her teenager to hand over $100 (£83) per month to keep a roof over her head.
The caption explained the lease came after her '18-year-old daughter [decided] to stay at home' and described it as a 'teaching moment', but after receiving backlash for her decision the mother shared another video to defend herself.
See her response below:
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The mother's defence came after TikTok users responded to her first video to imply the mother didn't 'love' her daughter; that she was 'setting her up to never speak to [her] again' and that she was giving up her 'parenting and support' responsibilities by issuing the lease.
"I’d never speak to my mom again," one person responded, while another commenter wrote: "In this economy, wouldn’t it be cool to like help them save for a house of their own instead of making money off of them to teach them a lesson?"
Meanwhile, other TikTokers claimed to have seen similar schemes go up in flames, with one person writing: "I have 3 friends who had their parents do this. none of them talk to their parents anymore. One got a restraining order. I hope your daughter heals."
In response to the critics, the mother explained that her decision to give her daughter a lease agreement came after her own parents failed to set her up for success, saying: "I had to fight for every single thing that I have, and I don't want my children to have to do that."
She went on to claim that her actions seek to 'prepare [her children] for the real world'; one in which they don't need to depend on her 'for anything'.
The mum then explained that in her local area people looking to rent a property have to have a 'renter history' proving they can pay bills on time, as would be fulfilled by her lease.
The $100 payment covers 'utilities, her room, her food and everything else', the TikToker explained, and she assured her daughter was 'in agreement with everything' on the lease, except for her curfew, which the pair then negotiated.
The daughter's approval was further established in another video filmed by the 18-year-old herself, in which she admitted the lease was 'hard to comprehend' at first, but she soon realised it was what she'd have to face sooner or later when she actually moved out of the house.
"I know you have a lot of different opinions, and that's fine... but until you know the real story you cannot judge somebody," the daughter added.
As well as the backlash, the mother has also received support from TikTok users dubbing the lease a good idea and pointing out $100 is a not a lot of money in comparison to what the daughter might have to pay if she moved out.
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