A Houston mom is getting lots of attention online for the creative way she’s trying to teach her tweens about adult responsibilities while living at home. Taja Ashaka, who goes by @travelwithtaja on TikTok shared a post about the “real-life” environment she’s created for her children, and has gone viral in the process.
Ashaka created mini apartments for her daughters inside their family home. In a post she captioned, “Turning their bedrooms into first apartments,” Ashaka showed herself decorating her daughters’ front doors with welcome mats, doorbells and mailboxes she uses to deliver everything from notes that say “I love you” to eviction notices if they don’t pay their rent on time.
Her post has received over 10 million views and thousands of comments, many from people who think she is setting her kids up for success.
“This is such a creative way to introduce kids to living alone/managing their own space, like I want a mini apartment,” wrote someone in the comments.
But others think Ashaka may be going a little too far.
“Wtf? You make your kids pay to sleep in their bedrooms?” wrote someone else.
How Much is The Rent?
Because it’s the question on everyone’s mind, Ashaka broke down her kids’ bills in a separate post, explaining that she charges them five dollars each week for rent and five dollars for utilities – which includes gas, water and electricity.
They are also required to put 10 dollars into their savings accounts. And if they don’t pay their bills by 9:01 p.m. on Friday, you’d better believe there are consequences and repercussions – which can eventually lead to their “eviction” to an electronic-free zone in their home.
“Their first notice is no phone for 24 hours and they have to pay an extra dollar, second notice is no phone for three days [and] 5 dollars, third notice is eviction,” she explained.
But it’s not enough just to pay their bills on time, Ashaka adds that the mini apartments, which are subject to random inspection at any time, must be kept clean and organized.
How The Kids Get Paid
If you’re wondering where the little ones get their income, Ashaka explained that they are on the payroll at a putt-putt mini golf business she owns, and earn money by handing out clubs and assisting guests. The girls get paid weekly and use the money they earn to cover the cost of their rent and utilities.
“Why not teach them early?” she asked in a post.