A mother’s letter to her son, age 13, has become very popular. When her teenage son thought he was old enough to set his own rules, the mother, known online as Estella Havisham, sent the letter because she felt a lesson in independence was necessary.
The “adulting ain’t easy” letter was meant to be shared solely with friends, but because her account’s “public” viewing button was left open, it was shared with everyone and rapidly went viral on social media.
In the mother’s letter posted on Facebook, the 13-year-old child was only referred to as Aaron. According to the Daily Mail, she warned her teenage son that disrespecting his mother will have “greater consequences.”
Estella Havisham warned her 13-year-old son that she would soon begin placing adult duties on him if he did not start acting like a boy once more. According to the Huffington Post, the irate mother warned that he might soon be responsible for paying his fair portion of the rent, groceries, and any “maid service” she rendered.
Here is a portion of the mother’s letter to her son, who is 13 years old.
“Hello, Aaron
You need to learn a lesson in independence, I presume, since you seem to have forgotten that you’re only 13 and I’m your parent and that you won’t be controlled. It will also be simpler to pay for all the things I previously bought for you since you threw in my face the fact that you are making money now. You must contribute your fair portion of the fees if you want your lamp/lightbulbs or internet access: Rent is $430; utilities are $116; internet is $21; and food is $150.
Additionally, you’ll need to sweep and vacuum those days, as well as empty the garbage on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You will be expected to prepare your own meals, tidy up after yourself, and maintain your bathroom on a weekly basis. If you don’t, I’ll have to clean your house for you every day for $30. We can work out the details if you decide that being my roommate is better than being MY CHILD once more.
The mother’s letter soon garnered more than 85,000 Facebook likes and more than 160,000 shares. After posting the message to her 13-year-old son, the impatient mother wrote another post outlining her initial motivations.
Her reply is as follows:
Why humiliate him in public?I’m not. An accident occurred. I intended to post to only my immediate family and friends, so yesterday I was perplexed as to why I had received over 100 friend requests. I honestly believed that my account had been compromised in some way. Yes, I could remove it, but by this time, so many people have already read and seen it.
While some posters commended her for her approach to parenting children, others thought she was being too severe.
However, it appears that the letter was successful because Heidi and Aaron have now developed a contract with guidelines that Aaron appears to abide with.
“I’m not a tyrannical tyrant attempting to ‘manage’ my child, I assure you. I am a parent, and I have every right to set boundaries, demand behavior, and impose penalties.
Do you believe Heidi was correct to put her foot down and share her letter online, or did you feel she was too strict with her son?
If you agree that all children should receive a quality education, please share this post with your Facebook friends!