Things get worse with the issue of money. While we hear so much about how the relationship between a mother and a child is unbreakable, what happens if that trust relationship turns out to be untrue? Truth is financial trouble has been known to tear apart some of the closest families. Things worsen when a parent, especially a mother, does dishonest financial activity. Most can relate to one scenario, and that is this very sentence: “Mom Kept Stealing Money From Me.” The situation is very difficult so, hence, some emotional, financial, and some issues of trust surface.
When love and trust are broken:
Usually it is the mothers who care for the children and give emotional security coupled with financial security. They ensure that better circumstances prevail where their children grow up as compared to theirs. However, the mothers break the trust of their children when they are under some financial distress or addiction or personal issues and, thus, leave deep scars in the children’s psyche. The toughest barrier is in reconciling the fact that one loves their mother and the fact that in this very same mom, one has seen all the qualities that make one so cherish them. He will ask himself, “How could someone who raises me; to whom I owe so much, be stealing from me?” These inner conflicts can put an enormous hurting and shatter into bitterness as anger and sorrow, or confusion.
This utopian image of a loving mother would totally contradict the reality of thieving, hence the emotional torment.
Why it happens
There are many valid reasons why a mom would go out of her way to take money from her kids. To some moms, it’s just the must. They are unemployed, in debt, and have nothing regular coming in. Some are on the border line of being addicts: things they would do, which otherwise they wouldn’t do; perhaps to drugs or gambling.
Sometimes, a parent will feel that she is entitled to the money that belongs to her child. That’s mostly when parents have supported their children for a number of years and think that that child owes it to them. Now that’s all cultural or emotional argument, but not one to steal by.
How it affects children
Being stolen from by the person who is your mother is emotionally devastating, and it has a long-lasting effect on your psyche. It becomes extremely challenging to be trustworthy of everyone, even those outside your family unit. Such financial abuse can cause long-term effects on your relationship with money itself and creates anxiety about what kind of future security is accessible.
It must be one of the hardest things to talk about for people whose mothers stole from them. This is partly because there is a very strong bond between a mother and her child, so most people are already guilty of even contemplating approaching the problem. There is often an assumption that approaching it constitutes total rupture in the relationship.
What to Do If You’re in This Situation
If ever you thought, “Mom keeps stealing money from me,” know you are not alone, and more importantly, that you deserve to protect your financial well-being. Then, communication is the first step. As much as possible, sit down calmly with your mom and let her know this is going on. Sometimes, simply talking leads to a better understanding and the resolution. There are some other instances when professional assistance will be required. This guidance or therapy will result in a neutra position wherein one can voice feelings and try to work towards finding a solution to these issues. If addiction or even financial instability is the cause, then you should get your mother the help she needs and simultaneously protect your own interests.
Finally, learn to set boundaries. If the behavior does not end, you may be compelled to do the harder thing: secure funds or become “cheap” with money. Such measures are difficult to take against a parent, but you simply cannot place other emotional and financial aspects of your life on hold. Conclusion It’s heartbreaking, in a way, to be in a situation where one feels that his mother has betrayed him, all for money. Emotional, yes; the thing to do with that, however, is to talk things out from all sides, perhaps seek professional advice if one needs it, and protect one’s own security. Trust can be rebuilt, but that takes effort, communication, and sometimes, boundaries. While this underlying common is also the case between a mother and a child, it is not forgotten that financial abuse even of the family members is no laughing matter. Remember that asking for help and setting limits is not defiance but self-care.
