Parenting has certainly evolved over time. The world is not an easy place to live, so parents have to teach their children right from wrong very early on. An Australian TikTok star has seven crucial rules for her two kids, so see if they are worth trying.
Kat Zoe Clark, Australian TikTok Star
TikTok is chalked full of videos ranging from funny fails, cover songs, and much more.
A TikTok star named Kat Zoe Clark went viral for posting the seven rules she has for her kids.
Background On Kat Zoe Clark
Kat Zoe Clark certainly got the attention of her 2.1 million followers by sharing how she parents her 18 and 11-year-old daughters.
Her parenting rules video currently has over three million views.
The First Rule: Location
Kat started the video by talking about the first rule for her daughters.
"So first one is location. Yes, you have to have your location on. Will I check it? Probably not, unless you're running late," said Kat.
The Second Rule: Honesty
Honesty is the best policy according to Kat. "Honesty is probably the biggest policy in this house. So, I expect my kids to be honest with me, and I'm not going to bite their heads off."
She continued, "But, I also will do the same for them. So, if they ask me a question about my past, I am 100 percent honest with them and I don't sugarcoat anything," said Kat.
The Third Rule: Parties
Many parents have mixed feelings when it comes to parties, so here's what Kat thinks.
"Can my kids go to parties? Yes. General rule of thumb is: If you're in grade 9, you're home by 9. If you're in grade 10, you're home by 10, and so on, and so on. Once you're 18, I really don't care when you get home," said Kat.
The Fourth Rule: Sport
Staying physically fit is important to Kat as a mother.
"Sport - you have to do a sport. So, whether that's dance, skating, surfing, whatever, I don't care, you have to do something to move your body, so you're not on the phone 24/7," said Kat.
The Fifth Rule: School
Making sure your kids have good grades is something many parents think about, but Kat has some other opinions.
"I'm actually really relaxed when it comes to school. If my kids want to drop out though, they've got to have a business plan or a job," said Kat.
The Sixth Rule: Boyfriends
Some parents get anxious when their children start dating, so here's how Kat keeps it mellow.
"My girls can have boyfriends, but if I have a problem with their boyfriend, they have to listen to my opinion about them," said Kat.
The Seventh Rule: Rent
Kat's seventh and final rule was actually the one most people disagreed on.
"And yes, my kids pay rent as soon as they turn 18 or have a job," said Kat.
Most TikTok Users Agreed With Kat
Kat received thousands of comments on her video with most people agreeing with the majority of her rules.
The comments were from a mixture of parents and adults who had grown up with unfavorable parents.
Some Positive Comments
One TikTok user wrote, "I find the more freedom you give children, the more they learn to appreciate what they do with it. Instead of wanting to be sneaky about stuff."
Kat agreed and replied that she had been brought up in a strict household and that's why she's more chill with her kids.
Which Rule Got The Most Likes?
Overall, the rule that people agreed with most was Kat's party rule.
Slowly increasing the time the girls are allowed to stay out as they get older and letting them have full autonomy by age 18 seemed fairly reasonable.
The Rent Rule Bothered A Lot Of People
Hundreds of TikTok users were up in arms over Kat's rule that she makes all her kids pay rent after they turn 18.
This is something she would never change.
What People Had To Say About The Rent Rule
The consensus was that the rent rule seemed unfair.
"Rent teaches your kids responsibilities...but if my kids are saving and spending responsibly, then I won't make them pay rent," said TikTok user mynameisemma89.
Kat Gives A Rebuttal
After seeing the outrage over her rent rule, Kat made a follow-up video explaining why she charges her kids rent after they turn 18.
Once she shared her true feelings, it made a bit more sense.
Kat Versus The Haters
Kat shared, "I have had so many negative comments about me charging Teesha rent or board, and I don't want to hear it.
Then, she gave a longer explanation for the rent rule.
How Much Do Her Daughters Pay?
Kat continues, "Point two, she pays $50 a week and it goes into an investment fund, so that when she's old enough to move out or when she wants to buy her first house or her first apartment, she's going to have money there."
She still wasn't done with her reasoning.
Planning Her Daughters' Futures
Kat finished up her video by saying, "So, I feel like I'm setting her up for success, while at the same time teaching her about the real world because it ain't free to live.
And if that doesn't make sense to you, head back to..."
The Rent Rule Now Makes More Sense
Kat made it evident to say that she isn't pocketing this money.
She's simply setting her daughter up with an investment fund, so she'll be covered when she's ready to live on her own.
Bringing Order To The House
While there are certainly dozens of ways people can parent, it is a good idea to have some sort of guideline set up.
Parents can either use Kat as an example, or find something else that works better for them and their children.
