Meet Michael Madden, a Central Texas dad who’s got the online world buzzing after revealing that his 6-year-old daughter, Rose, is learning all about the cost of living by paying “rent.”
Now, before you picture this man evicting a first grader with a suitcase and a stuffed unicorn, it’s not what you think. Michael isn’t actually taking his daughter’s money; he’s building a little budget boot camp right in their Texas home. Of course, It’s got people divided between calling him “Parent of the Year” and asking if he’s gone a bit too far.
Michael, who works as a territory manager for a mechanical distributor, has been side-eyeing the way some adults struggle with money management. Determined not to raise another generation of “spend now, panic later,” he set out to make financial literacy as fun and real as possible for Rose, per People.
Texas Dad Makes 6-Year-Old Daughter Pay Rent
Enter: the chore chart. On paper, it’s your standard list of tasks: brush your teeth without being reminded, help clean up, do your part around the house. But Michael added a plot twist. For every 25 points Rose racks up, she earns $5. If she hits 30 points? Bonus time. And here’s the kicker: 20% of her “paycheck” goes straight to “rent and utilities.”
The thing is, Rose isn’t losing a single cent. Her dad puts it all away for her, but by labeling part of it as “rent,” she’s getting an early glimpse into how adulthood works, the not-so-glamorous truth that you don’t get to spend every dime you earn.
Surprisingly, she’s into it. Michael says his daughter already knows rent is what keeps a roof over your head, that lights don’t stay on for free, and that you’ve got to save up for big-ticket items. She even reminds him to update her chart, which might make her the most responsible person in Texas right now.
Of course, this being the internet, when Michael shared the idea on TikTok, the reaction was instant and loud. His video racked up a jaw-dropping 6.8 million views and over 4,800 comments. Some parents called the approach genius, wishing they’d been taught these lessons as kids. Others? Not so impressed. But Michael’s not losing sleep over the naysayers. “Just let her be a kid,” one critic stated, while others praised the dad.
She Loves It
“This isn’t about being strict for the sake of it,” he’s explained. “It’s about teaching responsibility and delayed gratification before she’s old enough to make big mistakes with money.”
In an age where kids can’t go ten minutes without wanting the newest toy or gadget, this Texas family’s approach is refreshingly practical. No toy money? No toy. Period. And as far as Michael’s concerned, that’s exactly the point.
Michael and his wife, Savannah, plan to keep tweaking the system as Rose grows. The ultimate goal is to make sure she heads into adulthood with the kind of money smarts most people don’t figure out until it’s too late, if ever.
So, love it or hate it, one thing’s for sure: this Texas dad has sparked a conversation that parents everywhere are having at their kitchen tables. And while little Rose may be the only first grader in the Lone Star State with her own “rent bill,” she might just end up being the best-prepared tenant Texas has ever seen.
Sofia Bassett 
Hunter Spears 
Nina Franklin 
