AITA for asking my son (25) and his girlfriend (24) to go to work and maybe do some chores?

A mother is starting to wonder whether she crossed a line by asking her 25-year-old son and his girlfriend to do something fairly basic: go to work consistently and help out around the house. Jack and Becky have been living with her and her husband since the middle of last year. Each pays just $100 in rent—a symbolic amount meant to help them contribute while saving for their own place.

But instead of moving toward independence, the couple has begun acting as if that small payment buys them freedom from responsibility. Missed work shifts, lingering weed smells, and defiant comments have pushed the situation to a breaking point. Things became even more stressful after she agreed to co-sign a car loan—and now fears she may be the one stuck paying for it.

‘AITA for asking my son (25) and his girlfriend (24) to go to work and maybe do some chores?’

When her son first moved back home, the expectations were simple:

Tension started building when basic household help turned into arguments:

Then came the financial risk:

One night became the tipping point:

Later, she shared an update:

Situations like this are increasingly common. Adult children move back home for financial reasons, but blurred expectations can quickly create friction. Legally, Jack is an adult. Practically, living at home for $100 a month still places him in a dependent role.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Joshua Coleman, who specializes in parent–adult child relationships, has noted that the transition to independence often involves power testing. Young adults may assert autonomy before they are financially or emotionally prepared to sustain it. When that assertion collides with parental expectations, tension escalates.

Co-signing the car loan complicates the dynamic. Financial entanglement changes the stakes. Without real-world consequences, inconsistent work habits can become patterns. Clear expectations—paired with consistent follow-through—are often what ultimately push growth.

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

As for netizens, needless to say, once they join the discussion, opinions pour out like rain, some analyzing, some mocking, and others even “ordering” solutions.

Many users expressed strong support for the OP, arguing that they had been too lenient and needed to be firmer immediately.

Some comments were sharply critical, suggesting that the OP had inadvertently indulged their child and put themselves in a difficult position:

Many people chose to use a humorous and sarcastic approach when discussing the young couple’s “concept of rent”:

Here are some more in-depth analyses of rights, responsibilities, and boundaries within the family:

Finally, as usual, the forum moderator bot appeared to remind everyone of the rules:

At its core, this isn’t about $100 rent or a few dirty dishes. It’s about responsibility, respect, and what adulthood actually looks like when you’re still under your parents’ roof.

The parents have now drawn a line. Whether Jack and Becky rise to the occasion remains to be seen. What do you think—should parents continue offering support when their adult children struggle to act responsibly, or is tough love sometimes the only option?