Mum divides opinion after demanding teenage daughter pay for lifts home from work
27 June 2022, 13:28
A mum has shared her dilemma on Mumsnet after asking whether she should charge her teenager daughter for lifts.
A woman has asked for advice after her daughter got a new job.
The anonymous mum explained that her teenager has just started a new role in the centre of town and finishes late most weekends.
While the girl said she’s fine getting a taxi home, her mum isn’t keen on ‘the thought of her waiting outside alone’.
Taking to Mumsnet, she wrote: "As you can imagine, it’s not nice to be in the town especially at weekends when there’s the possibility of trouble, as there’s loads of drinking going on obviously.
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"My daughter had said before that she’d look for another job with more suitable hours as she knew I didn’t really want to go into the town late at night and I didn’t like the thought of her waiting outside her place of work for a taxi, and not keen on her getting Ubers.
"Long story short, she’s found another job she loves, but, again it’s in the town centre and this time she finishes even later, just after midnight.
"My daughter is already asking if I can pick her up but is happy to get an Uber if not.”
The Mumsnet user went on to say that while she doesn’t want to be worrying about her daughter getting home, she’s also not keen on going into town.
"Now, I don’t want to sit at home worrying again if she’s ok getting home, but also I don’t relish the thought of regular lifts from town so late at night,” she said.
"I'm also a bit put out regarding the cost of petrol when, if she’d got a job where she could get a bus then it’d save me the money.”
Asking for advice, the woman added: “Am I being unreasonable to think sod it, she can pay half of what a taxi would cost if she wants me to pick her up so late (after all it was her choice to go for this job).
“Or should I suck it up and fetch her for free as I’m concerned about her getting home any other way?"
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Unsurprisingly, the post has caused a lot of debate online, with many users divided over whether a child should have to pay for lifts from their parents.
“I wouldn't charge for lifts, but I also wouldn't commit to picking her up after midnight regularly,” one person wrote, adding: “She needs to find a job to get her herself to and from.”
Someone else said: “She is getting paid so of course she should pay you.”
A third person commented: “Either she needs to get driving lessons and fix it that way, or she needs to get an uber. She's 19, not 15.”
While a fourth person slammed: “I wouldn't charge my own kids. Ridiculous.”
