Prom or No Prom?
Tough love?!
My sister called me to vent about a problem she’s having with her son. Her son needs $400 to go to his senior Prom. The problem is he’s been very lazy around the house and not helping with family chores. She feels he has a total disregard for family finances. She bought him a car at 16 and he makes no effort to help pay for his expenses of having it. This story is for a whole new blog. Suffice it to say, she is not currently the happiest with him. On the heals of this, she just wrote a check for his first semester at college. She feels as if he thinks her paying for college is a given and not a privilege. In a nutshell, that’s the background story. He called her at work and informs her that he needs $400 to go to prom. My first comment was PROM COST $400, wow that seems like it a lot! She broke it down for me with the tickets being $175, renting a tux and transportation equals a whopping $400. She was firm about not giving him the money because she feels he doesn’t deserve it. Now I’m all about tough love BUT, missing senior senior prom because of money is just a little too tough for me. I offered suggestions like having him earn the money or borrowing the money for alternatives. I did not want my nephew to miss one on one of life’s milestones. She called me a wimp! 
She’s firm with her decision! She really wasn’t asking for my opinion but rather venting. I continued to try and soften her … but she wasn’t budging. I’m fast forwarding 20 years from now where he’s telling his kids how mean grandma was by not letting him go to prom. I’m hoping he adds that his wonderful Aunt tried! What would you do? Prom Or No Prom?