A mum has revealed how she makes her son buy Christmas presents using his chore money – and she pays him based on “how well” he does each job.
Carla Dillon made headlines after revealing her controversial attitude toward parenting.
The mum-of-two uses the motto “f**k around and find out” when it comes to keeping her kids, Cayden, 13, and her daughter, aged seven, [not named for privacy reasons], in check.
And she doesn’t falter around Christmas, with the programme analyst implementing a “harsh” rewards system for her “feral” brood across the holidays.
“My son is a teenager now, so he’s responsible wholeheartedly for any gifts he wants to get people,” she told Need To Know.
“And that includes using his own money, rather than me buying it.
“He will do extra chores around the house, or help neighbours, to earn his keep.
“There’s also no choice for him in this; it’s a requirement.
“He can’t opt out of buying anyone anything.
“There must be at least one person, of his choice, that he gets something for – no ifs or buts.
“If he wants to buy for other people, that’s fine, but he has to choose at least one.”
Carla, from Virginia, US, hopes to teach him the value of money and to truly understand the “reason for the season”.
She said: “It’s all about giving, rather than getting.
“The joy, pride and fulfilment that comes from giving to others and bringing them happiness is important.
“And I made sure to explain this to them, so they knew why I was doing this.
“I’m not requiring them to get me anything.
“My present is going to be having a good Christmas and seeing them happy.
“I actually haven’t had any criticism [of this approach], surprisingly.
“Even the cashier, when we were buying the present,s; I told her that my kids were paying and what they were doing.
“She said how awesome and kind it was, which made them very proud.
“He understands – but, at one point, he asked if he could buy himself something.
“Again, I explained that this is about giving, not getting [gifts] for ourselves.
“He agreed and understood that, for the current time, he should be focusing on others.
“[When he held up the receipt], my son’s exact quote was: ‘I’m Santa, I’m keeping my first receipt.’
“He was so excited.”
Cayden gets a certain amount depending on the chore and how well he does it.
For raking leaves, he earned $20 (USD) (£15) and $5 (USD) (£3.76) for cleaning his walls and door.
It’s only $2 (USD) (£1.50) to unload the dishwasher, though.
And it’s not only him that’s being taught the harsh reality of Christmas.
Her daughter has had to sell – or donate – a couple of her no longer used toys to earn some money to buy presents.
Carla added, “She does some things, but she’s younger, so it’s harder.
“I made her sell a couple of toys she no longer uses on Facebook Marketplace.
“In total, she got around $35 (£26), which isn’t bad going.
“With her money, she bought a present for her dad, big brother and her grandma.
“She’s so excited to give them the presents.
“I’m getting them a few special things, such as a basketball hoop for my son.
“And my daughter wants to do gymnastics, so I got her a suit and balance beam, along with a few other things.
“Christmas is a big deal in our house – we go big.
“I don’t want the reason for the season to be lost.
“I want them to understand that the magic is created and for them to feel a part of making the magic happen for someone else.
“As kids grow up, the world is ha, and not understanding expenses will not benefit them.
“As parents, our sole purpose is to raise our children to be good adults.
“We should take every opportunity to teach them selflessness, kindness and generosity.
“Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
“If we don’t take the time to teach our kids how to manage their money, work for what they want and be responsible, then we have failed them.
“Spreading good makes the world better, and it always comes back around.”
Carla had tried her hand at “gentle parenting” before adopting the new, strict attitude.
She hopes to raise children who can navigate the world on their own, while respecting others and themselves.
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