Mom Makes Her Twin Daughters, 9, Pay Rent and Utilities — Here’s Why

A mom is explaining why she makes her 9-year-old twin daughters pay rent and utilities at home.

LaToya Whitfield said she was inspired to implement the unconventional parenting policy one month ago, after her daughters, Grace and Autumn, requested “expensive” dinners out twice in one week, per SWNS.

“I asked the girls what they wanted for dinner, and they said hibachi, which can cost a little pretty penny,” recalled Whitfield, 38, an HR recruiter and owner of a custom T-shirt business in Atlanta.

“So I told the girls I didn’t have any more hibachi money this week and I would have to sell more T-shirts or something else in order to make the money,” she continued. “One of the girls said, ‘Didn’t you just get paid?’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s how you think this works.’ ”

Whitfield then decided that it was time to teach the girls some “real-life lessons about money and the value of hard work. She used Canva to create “a lease for them to make it feel real.” In addition to $80 for rent, the lease outlines that Grace and Autumn are responsible for paying $10 for electricity and $5 for WiFi and gas.

To help them cover their bills, the twins receive a “paycheck” every Friday. They cash it at the household “bank” before paying their “landlord” mom.

If they fail to pay, they face “eviction” — in the sunroom in their home, which Whitfield rebranded as “the streets.” The girls are fined for such things as not cleaning up after themselves or having a messy bedroom.

On the flip side, Grace and Autumn can earn rewards for good grades and positive behavior.

“I just want to drop the seed inside of them for all of the lessons that they are learning during this time,” Whitfield said of the family’s payment system.

Already, Whitfield is seeing encouraging results in her daughters.

“The girls are very responsible and self-sufficient,” the proud mom said. “They can cook on a gas stove by themselves and deep clean their bathrooms by themselves. They even keep track of their own grades.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ultimately, Whitfield said she hopes her daughters carry these money and life lessons into adulthood so that they practice financial responsibility and understand the value of a dollar.

“I hope that this is something that will pop in their mind when they get older and they have to start making these decisions on their own,” she said. “I am hoping that not only they will learn, but that they will remember this experience forever.”