What better way to send a strong message to the younger kids that they had better have their act together when it comes their time?
I hesitate to answer fully. Each family has its own traditions. This is not how our family has operated generationally and I was shocked to hear of this tradition. There is a big difference between expecting 18 year olds to be diligent, have a goal and apply themselves and breaking a dish and telling them they get no more free meals in your house.
What a difference from my grandfather the shoe repair machine mechanic who could not read but put his sons through college and fed his wife’s brothers a dinner every night during the depression, their only meal of the day. My grandfather came from Italy without his parents at age 8. He never learned to read because he had to work but he supported his family & helped many people. His parents did their best for him by raising the money for his passage to America.
That’s what family means to me, we pull together. We expected to support our kids through college & graduate school. They took heavy course loads in the sciences and took part time jobs when they could, as did we during our schooling. What is more important not having the expense of feeding your son or having him have the time to apply himself to get good grades and a good job after school?