Seven years ago, this mother took matters into her own hands when her son said he no longer wanted or needed help because he was independent. To this day, what she did is something a lot of parents can still relate to.
Heidi Johnson, a single mother, knew she had to take extra measures to teach her child respect and obedience. Aaron had just turned 13 and was at the point where he was too difficult to control. The teenager thought that because he was now an ‘adult,’ he could do whatever he wanted without following his mother’s rules.
If she requests he does his chores or homework, he would reply with a no. majority of his time was spent with some type of device in hand.
At the time, Aaron only had a small YouTube channel. However, he was already making money from his uploads which led him to believe that he was now financially independent and didn’t have to put any effort into his studies or home life.
To say that his mom was displeased would be an understatement. Because of that, Heidi flew into a rage. She believed he needed to experience “tough love” and she was more than willing to dish it out just like any other mother would when their teenager is acting up.
Heidi wrote a letter to her son while he was at school.
The letter reads: “Since you seem to have forgotten that you are only 13, and I’m the parent and that you won’t be controlled, I guess you will need a lesson in independence.”
She continued, stating that now he feels financially responsible, he can repay her for all the support she provided him gratis. He will need to start paying for everything- from his clothes to utilities like electricity. Some of the things on her long list included rent and utilities; in addition, once he announced his “independence,” she gave him some additional chores.
She continued: “If you decide you would rather be my child again, instead of a roommate, we can renegotiate terms.”
She hung the note on her son’s bedroom door after posting a photo of it on Facebook. She was surprised when she found out that more people could read her post than she initially thought.
The following day, to her amazement, her Facebook request count had increased by 100. She later discovered that her letter had gone viral. However, upon finding the note, her son was livid.
Heidi said, “He crumpled the letter, threw it to the floor, and stormed out of the apartment.”
He originally didn’t believe his mother when she said she would do what was mentioned in the letter. However, after an hour had passed, he realized that she wasn’t joking around.
After some reflection, he realized that taking the television and other items out of the bedroom was wrong, and apologize to his partner.
Heidi’s six-year-old advice to her son is still receiving attention, with people responding positively in the comments and sharing it across social media.
