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The fastest way to end a perfectly reasonable conversation with a teenager is to suggest they, gasp, work for something they want.

A single mother on a tight budget told her daughter she couldn’t fully cover the gap on a new iPhone, so she suggested she get a part-time summer job to pay for it.

Her daughter responded by announcing that her “last carefree summer before college” was suddenly ruined, and then she started giving her the silent treatment.

But considering that the phone she currently owns works fine, this mom wasn’t exactly jumping for joy to throw extra cash at her.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

AITA for telling my daughter to find a summer job?

I have a daughter who’s 16. Lately she has been requesting money frequently for a variety of items, including clothing, cosmetics, coffee, manicures, and little internet shopping.

Money hasn’t exactly been abundant lately, so her daughter’s latest request put her in a tough position.

When I can, I give her that money. But because I’m a single mother, money is tight right now. Rent has increased and I’m thinking about an effort to keep my savings intact.

A week ago, my daughter said she wants a new iPhone, specifically the latest model. She has saved up roughly $400 from presents and birthdays, but it is insufficient.

So she was honest with her daughter about the state of their finances.

She asked me to add cash so she can buy it and I replied that I couldn’t do it at this time, gave an explanation, and assured her that her existing phone was functional.

I recommended waiting till her birthday, getting a basic phone, or getting a reconditioned device.

But when she recommended her daughter get a job, she flipped.

She said she specifically wants a new one because many of her friends have new phones gifted.

So I advised her to find a summer job and earn the difference if she truly wanted an expensive phone this summer, and I would still contribute $100 to $200.

She got really upset. She said I was forcing her to work, even though this is her last carefree summer before college applications, and that I was as always turning a simple request into a life lesson (though I never did it and tried to be as kind as possible with my daughter).

This mother pleads her case, but it’s still not good enough.

I replied that I’m not forcing her to work. She can keep her old phone or choose a cheaper option. But if she wants the most costly one, I’m not required to finance the difference as she is relatively older and can work.

Now she’s giving me the cold shoulder and says I don’t understand how important this last carefree summer is at her age.

Now she’s wondering if she took things so far.

Like her, I was a teenager, so I understand, but I also don’t see any issues with taking a part-time job to get the additional cash she needs to purchase the new phone she so much wants.

AITA?

Sounds like a typical teenage complaint.

What did Reddit have to say?

There’s no reason a job and a fun summer can’t coexist.

There’s an important lesson to be learned here.

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As far as this commenter is concerned, 16 is more than old enough to get a job.

Spoiling your kid doesn’t do them any favors in the real world.

She offered money she didn’t have to spare, gave multiple alternatives, and suggested the most normal possible solution for a teenager who wants something expensive: earn part of it.

The “last carefree summer” argument is a great one if you’re trying to get out of doing anything, but a part-time job isn’t the end of summer.

It’s also exactly the kind of thing that makes a phone feel worth having once you’ve earned it yourself.

The cold shoulder is par for the course here, but it’ll thaw eventually.

This is what good parenting looks like — it’s not always pretty, but it gets results.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.