teens

We can't tell if this mum's list of rules for her teen daughter is clever or cruel.

A Queensland mother has sparked debate online after sharing a list of house rules she penned for her teenage daughter as a “last resort”.

The Maroochydore mum pinned the list to her daughter’s room with the classic phrase everyone has heard in their teen years – “we are not a motel and I am not your maid”.

Posted on the Sunny Coast Community Board, the sign began with some stern words: “This will be monitored and if the following is not done, and you are not happy with how WE choose to have our home run, then you can find somewhere else to live…”

The teen was told she could no longer sleep all day, must be up before 10am, and wash up take all the rubbish out before meeting up with friends at night.

“Get up, eat, get dressed, get a life… (go for a walk, get a hobby) NO MORE SLEEPING ALL DAY,” the rules stated.

“… If you choose to go out on weekends and come home after midnight, then find somewhere else to stay. ([It’s] not fair on us to be woken by you coming into the house all the time, late at night and early mornings).”

The anonymous mum told local media she had been pushed to the edge by her daughter’s tactics.

“We love our daughter to bits, but since she got her [driver’s] licence, she has got worse and worse,” she told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

She added the warning technique has helped with her daughter’s behaviour, and shared it online to encourage other parents to try the same tactic.

Listen: How to help your daughter get ahead of the gender pay gap early…

However, the list sparked a host of comments – with some criticising the mother for being too strict. But the mother said she is unperturbed by the backlash.

“These are hard issues no one talks about. It is nice to be able to express how you feel and ask others and make sure you are on the right track,” she said.

“She was up before 10am and washed the dishes and helped cook.

“For all those people who commented it would make me lose my daughter, it worked.”