Teen Crushed As They Discover Their Mom Has Been Stealing Part Of Their Wages For The Past Eight Months

There’s no way to sugarcoat stealing.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• September 7, 2023

Parents are their children’s first pillar of support and strength. Not only do they guide them on their journeys in life, they also provide the financial help they need to survive.

From feeding to clothing and accommodation, it’s all on the parents to ensure their kids are well taken care of and don’t lack any of life’s basic needs. 

However, as a child grows older, they may search for ways to cater to some financial needs themselves—one of which is getting a menial job. While this affords them some independence, it can also cause some problems to arise. 

One teenager can relate all too well to the problems that can arise from seeking a bit of financial independence.

According to OP, they've been pet-sitting for their neighbor, J, for over two years. While the $7.50 (AUD) they earned per day wasn't anything great, it still afforded them the opportunity to cater to some personal needs.

Unfortunately, this changed soon when OP worked for three weeks in December and didn’t get paid. OP was upset, as they had planned to use the money earned to buy a phone.

Subsequently, OP kept working without getting a penny from J. While this puzzled them, they never felt the need to confront J about her perceived exploitation.

On a particular day, OP got agitated and mentioned to their parents that they hadn’t been paid for the past 7-8 months.

To OP’s surprise, their mother confessed that J had been sending her the money electronically. This was shocking to discover, but OP remained calm and asked their mom for the money,

At this point, OP's mom began moaning about how they're ungrateful and how she's been taking care of them for years.

OP estimated that the money would be about $457 (AUD). But as things stand, they aren't sure of ever seeing the money again.

Let’s dig into the details

A little bit of background

OP hadn’t been paid for 4 weeks worth of pet-sitting, but decided not to mention it to J

After about 7-8 months of work without pay, OP discovered that J has been paying the money to their mom all this while

OP tried getting the money from their mom to no avail

Important edits to clear up some things

A little more info

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

OP needs to explain the situation and get their money in cash

“You can get help and report her to both police and social services.”

“Tell your dad that your mom shouldn't expect you to pay her for raising you.”

“Your dad agrees with you, so ask him why he hasn't demanded your mom give you the money she stole.”

“Talk to J and tell them what’s going on but if you do confront your mother, tread lightly.”

“I would suggest you ask J to request, from your mother, refund of all the money she paid electronically.”

The commenters sympathized heavily with OP. They all agreed that this was a case of theft, and their mother could be liable if reported.

The commenters also advised OP to inform J about their mother's actions and request that she pay them in cash.

What advice do you have for OP? Let us know in the comments below!

Jesse