A mom's letter to her 13-year-old son to teach him the value of a dollar was accidentally shared on Facebook with the world and now has gone viral.
Heidi Johnson said she only intended to share her "Dear Aaron" letter with family and friends and didn't intend it to go public.
Johnson, responding to her son's demand for independence, wrote up a contract in which she outlined the cost for his share of the rent, food and utilities.
Dear Aaron,
Since you seem to have forgotten 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. Also, as you threw in my face that you are making money now, it will be easier to buy back all the items I bought for you in the past. If you would like your lamp/light bulbs or access to the internet, you will need to pay your share of costs.
Rent - $430
Electricity - $116
Internet - $21
Food - $150
Also, you will need to empty the trash Mon, Wed & Friday, as well as sweep & vacuum those days. You will need to keep your bathroom clean weekly, prepare your own meals, and clean up after yourself. If you fail to do so, I will charge you a $30 maid fee for every day I have to do it. If you decide you would rather be my child again, instead of roommate, we can negotiate terms,
Love,
Mom
The post has been shared over 165,000 times as of Wednesday morning.
Johnson has received praise and criticism for the post. Some have accused her of publicly shaming her son. But she says the post was only meant for friends and family and she accidentally hit "public" when posting it.
But, she says, Aaron eventually got the message. He had a bit of a tantrum right after seeing the note and even held a "sit in" in his mom's room. But he's now offering to help out more, according to Johnson.
And in case you wonder how he's now making money, as alluded to in the note, Johnson says "He's a YouTuber."
