Prior Post: I would never turn away family in a bad situation. Life is not about how much you have, but how much you give. I truly feel sorry for those that think otherwise.
Your response: I understand that sentiment. But doesn’t there come a point when a person actually does more harm than good by continually supporting a child who has made the same mistakes over and over? When mom & dad are gone, who will the woman in the article turn to? And I know each case is going to be different, but based on what we know from the article - is this woman ever going to learn how to save and live within her means if she can always count on someone giving her more money?
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Well said. The problem is not that parents are not willing to help children in need, it is that, in my opinion, children know this, and are willing to exploit it rather than doing what is necessary to survive. It is private welfare, and it is no less corrosive of the human spirit than public welfare. At a minimum the returning child should pay rent and contribute groceries and utilities, and parents should insist on this.
Not too far off the subject is a man, weighing some astronomical amount like 800 pounds, whose mother cares for and feeds him to the extent that he doesn’t have to (and now cannot) get out of bed. Our coddling of children on all fronts has led to an entitlement mentality that is poisonous. What happens when these parents die, unless a substantial inheritance is left to these children? One thing is sure, they have not learned to live life and earn their way as God (or nature, if you have no faith) intended. That is good for no one. God help us if these children have children in turn.