Dad Charges 6-Year-Old Rent in Budgeting Lesson That Divides Parents

Many parents want to teach their kids the value of money early, but one dad’s approach has the internet talking.

In a now-viral video, content creator and dad @michael-talksmoney shares a peek into his monthly routine of collecting $3 for rent and $1 for utilities from his 6-year-old. As his daughter hands over the money, Michael explains that each week Rose earns her rent money through a point-based chore chart.

From feeding the cat to making her bed and brushing her teeth, each action spent taking care of herself and helping around the house counts anywhere between 1 and 4 points and once when she reaches 25 points she earns a $5 allowance. The family tracks it all in a budget binder, with separate envelopes for rent, utilities, and allowance to help her see exactly where money goes.

“She pays rent. She tracks her chores. And yes, we make it fun like a game,” Michael writes in the caption. “She loves it. She’s motivated to do the same tasks she already should be doing, but now there’s a reward tied to it. She’s learning that money is earned, not given. And soon, we’ll teach her how to budget, save, and buy the things she wants, if she has the money for it.”

The reactions were instant and divided. Some supporters praised the method as setting erh up for success. One financial counselor wrote, “As a financial counsellor that deals with young people who are drowning in debt this is absolutely brilliant! She will be financially wise and stable, not getting into credit card debt. Amazing job Dad, don’t know you but I am proud of you.” Another parent shared, “Trust me. This works. I learned to budget, save, invest, cook and clean etc. by the age of 13. It’s just about responsibility.”

Others kept it lighthearted: “Just did this with my son. He refused to pay the rent so I evicted him. We are also earning and learning,” joked one parent. Another quipped, “60% of her income going towards rent. That’s what I call preparing her for the real world.”

Not everyone was on board, though. Some brought up that 6-year-olds might just be too early to start these lessons while others worried about the dynamic it would create. “I understand the paying the kids for doing chores. My Dad did that with me but paying bills is just annoying. Let her enjoy being a kid. She has the rest of her life to pay bills,” wrote one user. Another added, “So never a life without worrying about bills? Not even in childhood.”

Some suggested a heartwarming amendment to the routine. “Funny story, my friends did this with their teen. And once the teen grew up, got engaged they gave him every dime back so he could put his deposit down on his first home purchase,” one commenter added. Lessons taught today can be a future gift in more ways than one!