As my kids get older, they become more responsible and they make a lot more of their decisions.
I try not to get involved in their personal choices unless it’s absolutely necessary.
The other week, I arrived home to find a massive box sitting on our doorstep and I read that it was for my daughter. I couldn’t think of anything that my daughter possibly needed that was that large, but she was excited about it when she got home. I asked her what she ordered, and she told me that it was a portable air conditioner. I didn’t think I heard her right because an air conditioner seemed like an unusual appliance for my teenage daughter to be buying. I try not to micromanage what she spends her money on, but it was unusual because I had never heard her complain about the temperature before. I asked her why she ordered a portable air conditioner and she gave me an even more bizarre answer. According to her, whenever she had sleepovers with her friends, they were always complaining about the temperature of the house. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the temperature, but her friends seemed to think so. My daughter knew better than to touch the thermostat settings, so she had to get creative. This is what led her to buying a portable air conditioner. I hate that she spent her money on this to please her friends, but I was happy that she took the responsibility upon herself and she didn’t change the thermostat settings.