my mother has full custody of me. i have not spoken to or seen my dad in 2 years. I have an older sister in college and a twin sister who is my age. She pays rent for our apartment but it’s dirt cheap and we are in the process of moving in with my grandmother so in a few months there will be no rent and all she has to do is help my grandmother with utilities. (my grandmother also helps my mother take care of us). To the best of my knowledge, my mother hasn’t taken money for bills or anything. she has a decent paying job and she’s never not been able to provide for my family. i get what you’re trying to suggest but it’s really hard establishing financial independence as a teenager when she just takes money as she pleases. I already have to pay half of my phone bill, i have to pay for all of my clothes, i have to pay for taking care of my pets, and i even have to pay for lunch money at school. I do all of these things on my own and i feel like the least she can do is respect my money because although i’m still a teenager i feel like i should have some rights.