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Mom’s tough love letter to her son goes viral

Posted at 1:12 PM, Sep 23, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-23 13:12:05-04

VENICE, Italy -- Last week, Heidi Johnson took a less than traditional approach when it came to disciplining her 13-year-old son.

In her "Tough Love" letter that was posted to Facebook, Johnson explained how her defiant son needed a "lesson in independence."

Johnson left a handwritten note for her son in the form of a roommate contract, claiming he had to start paying her back for all that she provided for him.

The conditions called for the 13-year-old to start paying for rent and utilities and also required him to cook his own meals and routinely clean around the house.

Johnson expertly signed the letter with "Love, Mom" and her post has been met with praise on Facebook. Since it was posted at the beginning of September, the letter has received over 97,000 likes and 165,000 shares on Facebook.

The mother later shared a Facebook note explaining why she wrote the letter, saying she made it public "on accident," but added she is "not ashamed of what I wrote."

She also acknowledged, "I know my parenting style doesn't work for everyone."

Johnson's Facebook page says she lives in Venice, Italy.