In a recent Reddit thread, users were asked for their stories of rich kid reality checks. Here are some of the best responses submitted.
1. I grew up in a midwestern town, middle-class neighbourhood, private school etc. I never needed anything but my dad grew up poor and my parents wouldn’t give in to any of my big “wants.” My neighbour got everything he asked for, and I loved hanging out at his house because he had the best of everything.
After we moved away, I found out that his parents gave him anything he wanted because they were in a loveless marriage and constantly fought around him. They were buying love when my parents were showing me, love.
I always wondered why he would prefer to stay at my house with a crappy TV and an outdated Nintendo with no games. It turns out he wanted to stay at our house because my parents didn’t fight and would actually listen to him. My parents became surrogate parents for him and, to this day, he calls them mom and dad. (submitted by RonnieHasThePliers)
2. Grew up in a fancy home, but I never knew what my parents did. I soon figured out when my dad was arrested for drug trafficking and all our stuff was repossessed. I now live in a house that barely stands in a dodgy area of town. I’m adjusting. (deleted)
3. I thought people didn’t buy things they needed (cars, appliances, clothes, a nice house) because they were really frugal. I thought poverty was a third-world thing and that everyone in the US was pretty comfortable. This didn’t sink in until college. (rental_aquarium)
4. I never had a job until I was 19. I assumed people started working when they felt like it. Fast forward 3 years and due to parental abandonment I had no car, no education, no place to live, no license and no work skills. Because I never had to. (mansonfairy113)
5. When I was 30 and wanted a divorce, it didn’t happen magically by writing a check to a lawyer. (witchwithflyinghead)
6. My friend’s the son of a multimillionaire and, for him, it was when someone hit him in the face. He really thought just because he was the rich guy buying drinks someone in the group wouldn’t hit him from talking sh*t. Always on his best behaviour after that stunt. (deleted)
7. Military boot camp. Wanted to eat an orange, didn’t know how to peel one. Slyly waited for someone else to start peeling before emulating him. End up with a badly squashed, untidily peeled orange ball that tasted like sour reality. (Jaeshin)
8. I grew up not knowing how to do any chores. My first week living at the university was interesting. (Quotes)
9. I was spoiled rotten until my mid 20’s. My parents gave me anything I wanted. I met a girl who grew up poor. I initially approached our relationship from a position of wanting to provide her with the finer things in life. She and I got married and were expecting a child.
My great awakening came when the family business fell to pieces. I had to find a low-salary job, with high credit-card debt.
My one constant? My wife was unflappable. She essentially pulled up her sleeves and devised a budget for the household to see us through our new reality.
This experience taught me that money literally didn’t matter. Not only does it not matter, but it can disappear in an instant. I became closer with my wife, my new son, and my faith after this experience. (GhostbusterZX)
