Ellen had always been a hardworking waitress, making sure her daughter, Kiara, had everything she needed. But lately, Kiara’s ungrateful attitude had been driving Ellen crazy. So, for her daughter’s birthday, Ellen decided to teach her a valuable lesson.

As a waitress, I know how to fulfill everyone’s orders. I know what they want to eat, how they want it prepared, and even their special requests. But when it comes to fixing my daughter’s attitude, I find myself at a loss.

My daughter, Kiara, is almost fourteen years old now. She used to be such a sweet girl, but as adolescence kicked in, her attitude took a turn for the worse. It embarrasses her that I work as a waitress and her father, Joe, is an electrician.

Kiara wants us to be the cool and trendy parents who can effortlessly give her everything she desires, including expensive and unnecessary gifts. She’s not exactly the most grateful child for the presents we give her on her birthdays or Christmas. Tantrums and threats have become the norm, often followed by the hurtful phrase, “I don’t want to see you!” before she slams her bedroom door.

Joe and I are hurt by her behavior because we’ve always done our best to fulfill her demands. We miss the little girl who used to make a mess in the kitchen while trying to cook us breakfast. It was the most endearing thing for us.

Kiara’s birthday was approaching, and one evening during dinner, she dropped a bombshell. She wanted a fancy handbag, just like the ones her friends had received as gifts. These designer bags cost more than our monthly rent and groceries combined, something we simply couldn’t afford.

A few days before her birthday, Kiara approached me while I was baking scones for Joe.

“Mom,” she said, picking at the sultanas in the mixture. “How’s my birthday present coming along? The handbag, right?”

“Honey, we can’t afford that. We just don’t have that kind of money lying around. Can’t you think of something else?” I pleaded.

“No! You promised!” Kiara exclaimed. “You said you would help me fit in with the girls at school. It’s not my fault we’re in this situation! Come on, Ellen.”

She had taken to calling us by our first names whenever she wanted to provoke us. It was disrespectful, and I had had enough. That’s when I decided to teach her a lesson; to show her the importance of gratitude and appreciating what you have.

On Kiara’s birthday, I set up her cake and gift on the coffee table. Since Joe had to work, I pretended to take an extra shift at the diner. I wanted to observe Kiara’s reaction to her gifts without her knowing.

Joe and I had agreed that we would do whatever it took to teach her this lesson. We bought the expensive handbag, even though it significantly depleted our savings. We saw it as an investment in her character development.

When I heard Kiara moving around in her bedroom, I quickly put on my waitress uniform and rushed out of the front door, making sure to close it behind me. Then, I quietly made my way to a bench beneath the living room window, where I could watch without being seen.

I didn’t have to wait long until I heard Kiara’s footsteps approaching. I peeped through the window, trying my best to remain hidden.

As she entered the living room, Kiara’s eyes sparkled with excitement. But as she read the note accompanying her gift, her expression changed from joy to disappointment and anger.

“Happy Birthday, Kia. We love you, and we’re sorry we couldn’t celebrate with you. We had to work extra hours to afford your gift. Love, Mom and Dad.”

I left her alone for the rest of the day, using the time to chat with our neighbor about my plan and what I hoped to achieve.

When we all reconvened for dinner that evening, I noticed a change in Kiara’s demeanor. She had gotten what she wanted, but at what cost? She had spent her birthday all alone.

As I handed her a plate of food, she looked at me with a faint glimmer of the child we once knew.

“Mom,” she said while digging into her chicken. “You can return the handbag.”

Surprised, Joe asked her, “Why would we do that?”

“Because as much as I love it, and I really do, it’s not worth being alone on my birthday. It’s not fair to both of you, and I’m sorry,” Kiara responded.

The lesson had worked even better than I had anticipated. We spent the evening discussing the value of things and how life had changed since Kiara was younger. We taught her the importance of being realistic and understanding that there are financial limitations.

Joe told her she could keep the handbag, and we would honor our word by working extra hours to pay it off. However, he reminded her that if she wanted extravagant things, she needed to learn the value of saving money.

As we indulged in the birthday cake, Kiara began writing a list of potential part-time jobs she could take on during the holidays. The lesson of appreciating what she has had been learned.

So, if it were your daughter, what would you have done?