When to Cut the Cord

Rachel Canning, an 18 year old, New Jersey honor student, moved out of her parents’ house because she didn’t want to follow their rules. Now she lives with her best friend’s family and is suing her parents to pay for her college education and cost of living fees. She wants the judge to award her “Dependent on her parents for support as a student.” Is this the height of entitlement or should parents be legally obligated to pay for their child’s schooling?

I have a couple of questions: What if the parents pay for her college tuition and after college she can’t get a job… do they still have to financially support her when she is legally an adult? How long can this be allowed to go on…till your adult child is 30, 40 or 50 years old? Did she ever entertain the thought of getting a part-time job? When do you cut the cord?

She doesn’t like her parents’ rules but she likes what their money can buy her; too bad it didn’t buy her a strong work ethic.

 Every kid will want to sue their parents if this girl wins her case. Every parent and child has disagreements about curfew and rules. Every parent tells their child, “You live in my house, you live by my rules.” If they didn’t they’d be your friend. There’s a difference between a parent and a friend.

A friend is the person you stayed out past curfew with. A parent worries where you are and if you’re ok and punishes you for breaking curfew. A friend is the person you hung out and laughed with rather than doing your chores. A parent internally cries when their child screams, “I hate you,” for grounding them. A friend is the person with you when you ditch school, go joy-riding and get into an accident. A parent looks at the mangled car and their child and thanks God their child walked away. Then that same parent sets up a payment plan for their child to pay them back. Hopefully the plan teaches financial and moral responsibility.

This girl wants to live away from home with no rules or responsibilities and have her parents’ financial support. She makes it sound like summer camp where your parents pay for you to swim in the lake all day. It time she learns life isn’t summer camp. It’s time to throw her in the lake and cut the cord.