For most people,
childhood was a pretty chill time. Sure, there were problems on occasion - being forced to eat vegetables, for example, was a fairly big deal, and having to
finish our homework seemed like a major injustice when all we wanted to do was climb trees and play Pokemon.
Overall, though, being a kid was great. We didn't have to worry about buying food or clothes, we weren't kept awake at night by issues at work or
problems with relationships, and - best of all - we didn't have to pay rent.
Well, most of us didn't.
Essence Evans, a 22-year-old single mom, makes her 5-year-old daughter pay $5 rent a week - but it isn't as mean as it sounds.
In a post on Facebook, Evans explained that she charges her daughter for weekly rent - but she gives her a higher allowance than most 5-year-olds enjoy.
"Every week she gets $7 in allowance," Evans said, "but I explained to her that in the real world most people spend most of their paycheck on bills." The young mom then goes on to say that she charges her a dollar each for rent, water, electricity, cable and food - all the things that people have to spend money on in "the real world".
After that, the little girl is left with $2 to spend on whatever she wants - but also a good understanding of how to manage her finances.
Not only that, but Evans is secretly storing the "rent" money away in savings, which she will give to her daughter when she turns 18.
The post went viral almost straight away, and currently has almost 320,000 shares and 230,000 reactions. Thousands of people have commented on Evans' message, too, praising her for her excellent idea and congratulating her on doing such a good job as a mom.
"You are brilliant for teaching this to your child in this way!" wrote one user. "I have done similar with my kids, and I am now the proud parent of two young ladies who know and respect what they can earn more than something given to them."
"Well done!" said another mother. "I did a similar version of this when my boys were little, they have turned out to be amazing men and fathers, great with money, taking care of their children, owning their home, paying mortgages down, staying out of debt."
However, not everyone was happy.
"Its YOUR job to raise your child," said one angry commenter. "Put the money in a savings account if you want, but no child should be made to feel that they should pay for what a parent should provide."
"They only get to be kids for a little while...... let them have carefree childhoods," wrote another.
Ultimately, though, the young girl still gets $2 a week - which I'm sure is a lot more than most of us got at the age of five. Plus, when she's older, she'll see how much effort her mom put into making sure she had a good attitude and understanding towards life. And $5 a week doesn't seem all that much to pay for a better chance at succeeding in life.
