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I Want to Cut My Kids Off Financially. Does That Make Me Mean? - The New York Times

posted onFebruary 6, 2018
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Article snippet: Dear Sugars, My spouse and I supported our two now-“grown” children through college. One graduated; one moved back home due to failing grades. It’s now five years later, but we’re still paying for their cell phones, cars and health insurance. The one who graduated got a good job, but she’s about to be fired and she wants to move back home. We’re saying no. Are we mean parents? Should we continue to support our children well past their teenage years? When should we cut the strings and let them fend for themselves? Still Paying Cheryl Strayed: You are not mean parents. You are parents who have supported your children beyond the age that you are either legally or morally obligated to do so. You’ve been deeply generous because you wanted to provide your children with an education, security, comfort and ease. Well done. Now you must be deeply generous in another, seemingly paradoxical way: by giving your grown children the gift of independence and self-sufficiency. They don’t pay for their own way in the world for one reason and only one reason: because you do. I encourage you to stop doing it. Allow your adult children to find a way to do it instead. And allow them to struggle with doing it. By providing all that you provide your kids at this point in their lives, you’re preventing them from learning how to problem solve, sacrifice, persevere, and suffer and benefit from the consequences of their own decisions. In other words, from becoming adults. Steve Almond: Cons... Link to the full article to read more

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