Wesley sat at the dinner table, poking at his meatloaf with a frown. He pushed his plate away with a dramatic sigh. “I’m sick of meatloaf,” he complained. “Can’t you make anything else, Mom?”
His mother turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “Wesley, we had roast chicken yesterday, hamburgers the day before that, and fish on Friday.”
Wesley rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah… Whatever!” He pushed back his chair and stood up.
“Wesley,” his mother called after him. “Rinse your plate and put it in the dishwasher, please.”
Wesley scoffed. “Why should I? I’m not your slave!”
His mother gasped. “My slave? Helping out around the house makes you my slave?”
“Well, you don’t pay me, do you?” Wesley said smugly. “Work without pay is slavery!”
His father, Rick, frowned. “Son, we support you. We house you, feed you, clothe you, and educate you.”
Wesley smirked. “That’s your duty and my right! The law says you have to do it. But I don’t have to do a thing!”
His mother’s face turned red with anger. “So we have duties, and you have rights? Is that what you believe? What about your responsibility to help out as part of this family?”
“I’m not your slave,” Wesley repeated. “If you want me to do chores, you have to pay me.”
Rick placed a calming hand on his wife’s arm as she opened her mouth to argue. Instead, he smiled. “Pay you? That’s an interesting idea. How much do you think your work is worth?”
Wesley grinned. “I’ve already thought about that! Taking out the trash is $1, washing dishes is $2, walking the dog is $4, cleaning my room is $5, and mowing the lawn is $10. And you’re lucky I’m not demanding back pay.”
His mother gasped, but Rick nodded. “Alright, Wesley. We’ll pay you for your work. From now on, you’re a man, and we’ll treat you like one.”
Wesley puffed up his chest. “It’s about time you showed me some respect!”
Rick smiled. “We’ll start tomorrow. I’ll put up a chart with your chores, and you can mark what you complete each day. On Friday afternoons, we’ll pay you. Sound good?”
“Perfect!” Wesley declared, already thinking about all the money he’d make.
That night, his mother turned to Rick. “Rick, how could you agree to this? He’s being disrespectful, lazy, and greedy!”
Rick chuckled. “Don’t worry, Martha. I have a plan. Our dear son is about to learn a very important lesson.”
The next day, Wesley came home after football practice, starving. He tossed his bag on the floor. “Mom, what’s for dinner?”
His mother smiled sweetly. “Turkey pot pie with sweet potatoes and peas.”
“Awesome! I’m starving!” Wesley said, rubbing his hands together. But when he walked into the kitchen, his parents were already eating. His plate was nowhere to be seen.
“Mom!” he cried. “You didn’t call me!”
His father wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Well, Wesley, since you’re earning money now, you have to support yourself. If you want your mother to cook for you, you’ll have to pay her.”
“PAY HER?” Wesley shouted. “That’s ridiculous!”
His mother nodded. “Then you can dip into your earnings and order takeout.”
Fuming, Wesley ordered a pizza. It cost $15 plus a tip. He did the math and realized he had to work three whole days just to pay for one meal. Being independent was expensive!
The next morning, he came downstairs to the smell of bacon and eggs. “Morning, Mom! Can I have my eggs over easy?”
“Of course!” she said with a smile. “That will be $6.”
“You’re charging me for breakfast?” Wesley asked in disbelief.
“That’s how the world works, dear.”
Wesley was in for another shock. “Dad, I need $69.99 for my team jersey.”
Rick sipped his coffee. “Why are you telling me this?”
“So you can give me the money!”
Rick chuckled. “You’re earning your own money now. You pay for your own things.”
“I don’t have that kind of money!” Wesley protested.
“Save up, just like we do,” his dad said.
Wesley was horrified. He had to buy his own clothes too? “Okay, fine! Can you give me a ride to school? I’m running late.”
“Of course, son! That will be $5.50.”
Wesley’s jaw dropped. “You’re charging me for a ride to school?”
Rick nodded. “You’d pay a taxi, wouldn’t you?”
“But you’re my DAD!”
“Oh, that reminds me,” his mother added. “That will be $12.50 for washing and ironing your clothes.”
Wesley stormed out and walked to school. He was late. At lunch, he wolfed down his cafeteria food, thinking about his mom’s meatloaf and mac and cheese.
That night, he came downstairs looking miserable. His parents were enjoying a delicious dinner. His stomach growled.
“Mom, Dad?” he said quietly. “Can we talk?”
“Of course, son,” his father said. “What’s on your mind?”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I never realized how much you guys do for me. And you never ask for anything in return.”
His mother smiled warmly. “We were hoping you’d realize that, Wesley. Everything we do is out of love.”
“I know, Mom. I was being selfish. I’m really sorry.”
His dad put an arm around him. “Son, a family works together to make life easier for everyone. We help each other because we care, not because we get paid.”
His mother gave him a hug. “Now, how about some dinner? I made cottage pie and green beans—your favorite!”
That night, Wesley had one of the nicest evenings ever with his parents. He had learned an important lesson: to appreciate all that his parents did for him and to do his part in helping the family.
What can we learn from this story?
- Love doesn’t demand payment.
- A family works as a team to make life better for everyone.
