Advice Columnists & the Kooky Letters They Receive

[Onion NullOnion Null is verified member.]

I am not a rich woman. As a matter of fact, as a widow in her 60s, I find it difficult to make ends meet. I vowed, when my husband died 15 years ago, that my children wouldn’t lack anything and I am glad to say three of the four children are now independent. My problem is my first son who is in his 30s. He’s often borrowing money from me, and his siblings to help him set-up one business venture or the other. Unfortunately, his business keeps failing and there’s been no mention of his returning all the loans he has taken.
You can then imagine how shocked I was recently when he came to visit me in a Tokunbo car he just bought!

I felt like asking him where he got the money from, but I’m now anxious to get my money back.

Theresa, by e-mail.

Dear Theresa,

It’s obvious your son knows when he’s found a soft touch!
You certainly should have asked him where he found the money for a car, when he was always borrowing from you.

You don’t need to be offensive about this, just firm and clear.

It is obvious that your son’s financial problems are nowhere as great as yours and you should think very hard about lending him anything more in future, and you should point out the fact that his business failures have been the result of him failing to manage his finances adequately.

Let him know you have other children and encourage him to enquire about loans from his bank in future.

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/01/dear-bunmi-he-milks-his-family-for-money/