Financial commentator Scott Pape, known as the Barefoot Investor, has told an Australian mother to stop giving her 16-year-old son spending money after she said she felt "scammed" by his constant requests for cash. The mother, identified only as Sandy, wrote to Pape saying her son frequently texted or called asking for funds for treats such as açai bowls and bubble tea, and admitted she worried it was teaching him to see his parents as an ATM rather than understanding the link between work and money. Pape's blunt advice reflects a broader debate about how parents should handle teenagers who show little motivation to earn their own income.

Pape told Sandy her son sounded like a "spoiled, entitled brat" and that it was her job to correct this by enforcing clear boundaries. He recommended three steps: cutting off all spending money, refusing to introduce a chore-based allowance because it would likely be abandoned once payments began, and expecting basic household tasks such as washing up and laundry to be done without pay. He said any resistance from her son to these changes would actually indicate the boundary was working, and that if the teenager wanted to fund treats like cinema trips or a gym membership, he should get a part-time job to pay for them himself.