Poll: Should parents have to pay back their kids

[Angerwing]

Tell your mum you're saving for a car or something like that. That should stop her.

But yeah, my parents have both been quite wealthy (they're divorced) for a long time, so they rarely need to borrow money. If we're out, and they have nothing on them, I'll pay. I don't expect that back. But a couple of times my mum has asked "Hey Nick, can you lend me $20 [or so], and I'll pay you back tomorrow?" Sure mum.

But yeah. Not asking you, and dodging you about it is dishonest. Sure, she raised you, paid for your food and stuff, but you really shouldn't have enough money for your parents to borrow with impunity, or without even asking. That's underhanded.

My parents know I don't earn that much money, so while they've lent me large-ish sums without expecting it back, they always pay back what they owe me.

I love my parents.

Edit: Oh, and when I lived with my mum, I used to pay board. We decided on 20% of my income after tax. That way I'd always be able to pay it, and it wouldn't be too much or too little for me to handle/bother. Good system.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

No. You get enough things for free from your parents as it is. If they want a few bucks, you are giving it to them. If you don't like it, move out!

 

[Zenode]

Considering I've heard figures that it ranges from $800,000 to $1.8 million to raise a child...i'd say borrowing a bit of cash is fair game.

 

[yohlazy]

Yes my parents have borrowed over $2000 from me in the last two years and have paid little back they spend there life claiming they have spent money to raise you and thats try but they had the kid (aka me) If I have a child I cant say every dollar I spend on him or her they have to pay me back later in life.

No. You get enough things for free from your parents as it is. If they want a few bucks, you are giving it to them. If you don't like it, move out!

I neither live with my parents nore is 2 grand a few bucks

 

[gbemery]

They should, but legally, depending on your age and your country you don't have full rights until a certain age (17 or 18 usually here), they don't have to. That is unless like you were getting large sums of money for something like modeling. Then the government requires that that money either be spent on you or saved for you in some way, or atleast that's what I've been told. But what exactly constitutes a large sum is unknown to me.

 

[snafu11485]

if it's a large sum then they should offer to pay it back but in all honesty, for the first what 15 - 20 years of your life your parents have paid just about everything for you. Clothes, food, education, house, medical, dental etc So you owe your parents somewhere between $50,000 - +$100,000 depending on how you were educated and everything else. So I'd say your parents are just getting back some money you owe them. It does suck tho that your mum is avoiding the issue of paying you back

 

[Dogstile]

My parents creamed at each other and constantly swore at each other.

Oh god, dude, dude, I feel so sorry for you *shudder*

And yeah, they should have to pay you back. I usually make them pay interest too, gets me an extra bit of cash outta them and they don't do it all the time. Its why I usually have a fair amount of money, people borrow and they give me a couple quid extra back. The extra goes in my pocket, the money goes to the next borrower.

I'm a business man after all. If she's taking money from you dude, hide it.

Edit:

Also to the people saying you owe your parents for your life, isn't that pretty much blackmail? I mean, its not like I asked them to have a kid, they realised it would cost a fair bit of money, their own fault. When I have a kid i'm not dumping some imaginary number of how much they owe me on them, what a dick move.

Edit edit:

Oh god can we please stick to yes or no polls, adding extra just makes it biased.

 

[DarthRiko]

Tell your mum you're saving for a car or something like that. That should stop her.

Perfect solution there.
If she never pays you back, try to play it up that it's her fault you don't have your own transportation. Or if you have your own transportation, then save up fpr "more reliable" transportation.

 

[Jordi]

If a parent borrows cash from their kid, should they pay them back?

Depends on what exactly you mean with "should". I don't think they have to legally (unless maybe you're an adult). They could just say that you temporarily have to pay rent (or for any of the other things they are paying for you) and they just took it.

Morally, unless you guys are really really poor, they absolutely should. You earned that money yourself, so it should be yours to do with as you please. Taking it from you is not teaching you any lessons about responsibility and getting rewarded if you work for something. If your family is really poor, I think that it might be okay if the money that the children earn is also put to good use for the entire family, although as a parent I think I'd feel pretty bad about that. Either way, they should definitely tell you. Also if they're not paying you back it would be better if they were honest.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

Yes, especially if the money had been earned by the kid, and isn't some kind of allowance. Even if it is, once you've gifted something to someone, it's theirs.

Personally, I work on the principle that (unless it's a huge sum of money), my parents don't have to pay me back - I'll earn it back on them feeding me pretty quickly anyway, and it's not like they don't ever buy me things. But if they didn't at least offer to return the money, I'd get pretty arsey about it.

 

[Sgt. Dante]

If you earned it it's yours... They have no right to it.

I tried to make a point of not borrowing from my parents, but every time he's borrowed from me he pays me back.

 

[marblemadness]

Your mom is definitely stealing from you. I've loaned my parents money, they pay me back almost immediately every time... I know we owe a lot to our parents for raising us, paying for food, shelter, etc... but parents aren't entitled to your money!

 

[bakan]

snip

Move out? I mean honestly, sounds like you can support yourself.

Where do you live that you can support yourself with cutting grass?

OT: taking your money without asking and not even bothering to give it back is just wrong

 

[OpticalJunction]

Probably not. They gave you life, that trumps anything you could give them.

 

[Tsaba]

You are a minor, in their household, but, I feel that they should give it back, but, again, your living under their roof.

 

[The Cheezy One]

They should give you it back, but look at it this way - they pay for pretty much everything you own (Provided you're less than 18), so yeah, they'll give you the money back, but while you're balancing the books, you owe them several thousand by now. So let's not get picky, eh? Just look after your kids when you have them, and call it even.

 

[Jodah]

If its for something I will end up using too then Ill let it go, though I will ask for them to let me know they are using it. Examples would be food, gas, etc. If its something just for her then she should pay you back unless you tell her to keep it.

(And it was their choice to have a child so the whole "they paid for the first 18 years of your life" means nothing in this particular case.)

 

[SilentCom]

I opted not to vote because your parents have provided you with pretty much everything material you have from birth. They even provided you your life. Of course, I'm not justifying them taking money from you without your knowing. They, or rather your mom, should notify you if they need to borrow money. Paying you back should be something talked about, whether it is necessary or not. The disturbing part is taking money from you without your knowledge or permission. A parent should never do that to their child and vice versa. Doing so will violate the trust between parent and child.

 

[C95J]

My parents never borrow any money off me, but if they did, I would make sure they paid me back! It's my money after all.