And for the teens here... no dig, so don't get all defensive, if your parents cut you off financially today, how would you make it.

This is currently what I pay for my teens and if I cut them off their life as they know it would stop....

1) Three car payments.
2) Three car insurance payments.
3) Gas allotments to get to and from school or work only.
4) One childs out of state tution for college at $22,00 a semester.
5) Out of state childs room and board at $900 per month.
6) Some minor living expenses.

So if you were to be suddenly cut off, kicked out to the curb, etc, what would you do?

Well for one thing you would starve.

I have nearly a thousand dollars coming to me (eventually) from this job, so I would at least eat... And I have a couple hundred cash to tide me over till the paychecks come.

If we're including things that his JOB pays for?

Lets see.
Crash at a friend's place here for a few weeks - until work is over and I get all my money.
Plane ticket back to the states.
Plenty of people in maryland who would keep me in at least a bit of cash.

I don't drive, don't have school tuition, dont have anything he's paying for but the house and what's in it.

Since I'm gonna assume I get to keep my shit, I'd sell most of it for food money (and cause its hard to ship stuff so far!) and go from there. Pack my guitars and my computer, I'm gone.

I'm not saying it wouldn't be rough, but... I think I could at least survive. It wouldn't be fun, especially while I'm still getting on my feet, but... Well, at least I know I can't freeze to death on the streets here, right?

Wow Merc. One, where did that come from? Two, way to be a douchebag.

By the way, I could make it on my own. I have a real job (everyone I work with is TWICE as old as me) and I would find a second one. My job pays for health insurance, I could find an apartment that is close to my work and walk to and from so car payments are out of the way. I don't spend much anyways so that wouldn't be a problem. Rent would probably take up a little less than half my monthly paycheck but with my second job, I would be fine.

Going to school would make it much tougher but I think I could make it.

Eh? I don't see what you think you're seeing... Explanation?

Yeah, I wondered that myself.

I don't think Merc was really being that big of a dick here. And he has a point that certainly applies to some people; I know lots of teens, twenty-somethings, and even thirty-somethings living off their parents' generosity.

But just because you pay for your kids' cars and insurance and gas and tuition and housing doesn't mean everyone's parents do/did, Merc. I held anywhere from 1 to 3 jobs at a time, continuously from the age of 15. I bought my own car, paid for my own insurance, bought my own clothes, and paid for my own lunches and dinners when I was out of the house, which was considerable when you realize how many evenings I was out at work or theatre rehearsal. Once again we come back to the theme that you have not forced responsibility upon your children (which is fine, parents are supposed to care for their kids) so you and they have no idea what they're really capable of. If you truly think your children would literally starve if you cut them off, then that's kind of sad.

As usual, Clodfobble presents a balanced approach to the issue. It's true that Merc wasn't really being an asshat, and it's true that some young people do make their own money and would be offended to be told they couldn't make it on their own.

You should be a diplomat, cf! :)

For the most part, my parents gave me a considerable amount of latitude growing up, especially after I turned 16. I think my parents freak out more about stuff I do now at 31 than they did at 16 or 17.

Then don't gripe.

There is nothing dishonest about not beating your parents up with things you know they won't like but you are not strictly forbidden to do.
It is just not upsetting them unnecessarily, nothing else.