Settle a debate: DD16 thinks DH is being unfair and I kinda agree with her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter started a YouTube channel about a year ago. Recently, after upgrading her editing software, her videos have really improved in quality. The channel has been monetized from the start, but until recently, she only made a few dollars a month. In the past few months, though, her subscriber count and views have skyrocketed (I’ll admit I don’t totally understand how it all works), and now she’s starting to earn a noticeable amount of money.

This week, she shared with my husband and me how much she’s been making. DH immediately said she should give him 25% of her earnings. She pushed back, saying that it’s her channel, she does all the work, and we wouldn’t even know about it if she hadn’t told us. DH’s argument is that we bought her computer, pay for the internet, and she’s using our home as her base of operations. She feels like she’s being punished.

For context, she keeps her GPA high, is generally a responsible kid, and has been saving most of her earnings. She occasionally spends some money on small things. For example, she spent $50 at Marshall’s last week and about $25 going out to lunch with friends.

I’ve been staying neutral so far, but I’m curious to hear what others think. Is DH reasonable, or should she be allowed to keep her earnings since she’s the one doing the work?

Yeah, I don't steal from my kids.

One thing I MIGHT do is require them to put 25% into a Roth IRA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I”m skeptical because OP didn’t include a link to help her teen daughter out.

It's very, very fake. You don't earn serious money on YouTube so quickly. You need sponsors and lots of hard work and time. I know. I watch a lot of niche YouTubers who produce content themselves, or with a very small group of helpers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does he want to do with the 25%?

I would say that anything over $200 would go into a Roth IRA or account (IN DD'S NAME, not in the parent's as it sounds like your DH sort of wants access to the funds). It would be hers but not as a minor.

I don't know how these influencer payments work, but I would require that she create a spreadsheet to track what's coming in, from what sources etc. (That may already be created for her, not sure.) so she learns more about the business side of things.

Can kids have a childhood before they start with the IRAs ?

[Anonymous]

If this is true, your DH is a moron. But you already knew that.

[Anonymous]

She should give it to him. Is he planning to save it for her? That's what my dad did.

[Anonymous]

Did you know he was like this when you married him? It seems like a fairly obvious character flaw to be so grubby

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She should give it to him. Is he planning to save it for her? That's what my dad did.

He would have told her. Instead he could bring her to a bank to open appropriate accounts. In her name