My oldest son lives away from home. Should I still pay his cell bill? How do I stop when he needs the help.?

Question

I told him to get a girlfriend so she can take over.....lol

Answer 1

That depends...if he is able to pay his bill (able does not necessarily mean willing...), then he should pay it. On the other hand, if he is not able at this point, instead of just handing out the cash, you could set a deadline by which he will take over the payments (i.e. I will pay for 6 months after which time you will take over the payments).

This will do a few things for you and him: for starters, it will give him something to shoot for; the goal of taking care of his bills (TOTAL independence from parents). This will also help mom feel good since she is helping her son but at the same time will teach him to be his own man!

Hope everything works out for you and your son! God bless!

Answer 2

As he has moved out of the parental home he is effectively living his own life. To continue supporting him is fundamentally denying his independence. Like all parents, if the need arises for *emergency assistance* then there should be support where possible, but on the understanding that it is not a endless resource. Continuing to pay for non essentials such as a cell phone is counter productive and should not be continued, He has to learn to live within his means, ie. if he can't afford, he cant have.

Answer 3

Have him pay his own bill. I'm 24 and have friends who still have their cell phone bills being paid by the parents. It's ridiculous. A cell phone is not a necessity. If he's starving buy him a sandwich but make him pay for his own cell

Answer 4

Only use the prepaid cell phones, that way when the time runs out he will have to buy more minutes. Otherwise, I say don't pay his bill for him, he is old enough to live on his own, he should be old enough to pay his own way, or decide if he should eat or have a cell phone. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

Sounds like your son is old enough to pay his own cell phone bill or do without. Save your money. Make him take some responsibility. My 16-year-old step-son pays his own cell phone bills, his own car insurance and car payments. The kid is working hard so he doesn't have to mooch off either set of parents.
Please, cut the apron strings and set him free!

Answer 6

Like Dr. Phil says, parenting is what you do when you prepare your children to live in this world on their own. Love means having someone's best interest at heart. Anything else you do is for yourself. If guilt is what is keeping you paying his bill...that's something to appease yourself, not your child. He needs to be told a date that you will no longer pay...and then you need to keep your word. He will be much better off not depending on mom...really. Good luck!

Answer 7

If he want a cell phone,he need to get a job.If you keep saving his behind he figure all women suppose to paid his way through life.The Bible say when you work ,you eat.No work ,you don't eat.Your son have to growup and be a man.Just because you stop helping him don't mean you don't love him.Use wisdom when you help your son. P.S. DON'T BE A CRUTCH FOR HIM.

Answer 8

Ugh... NO

"Help" him by encouraging responsible behavior that he can use his whole life. Stop paying his bill. If the account is in your name, close the account and let him get a job and open a new one, if he can't live without it.

Answer 9

You should stop paying his cell bill, or any bill. He is on his own. He must set his priorities and budget for them. If he ask for help, make him exhaust all avenues to help himself. He will call after each failure. Answer him with, "Did you try______".

I am not saying desert him, but help him to grow. Show him how to fish.

Answer 10

Make him pay for it, he's old enough to get a job somewhere, I mean, there's a McDonald's everywhere in the U.S. Make him go there so he can make some money and pay his own bills...Don't You want food in your fridge instead of his bogus self taking your money?