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Grandmother heartbroken after grandson calls her 'stingy' for less pocket money

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A 69-year-old grandmother in Japan felt heartbroken after her grandson called her "stingy" for giving him less pocket money.
  • The grandmother, who lives frugally on a pension, had consistently given her grandson 5,000 yen but reduced it to 1,000 yen due to temporary financial strain.
  • The incident prompted her to re-evaluate her life and start spending her savings on herself, such as traveling and dining out, while maintaining distance from her daughter's family.

A 69-year-old Japanese grandmother has decided to prioritize her own well-being after a hurtful encounter with her grandson. The woman, identified as Tomoko (pseudonym), lives alone and subsists on a monthly income of approximately 120,000 yen (about $760 USD) from survivor's and national pensions.

Tomoko had been consistently giving her grandson, a second-grader, 5,000 yen (about $32 USD) in pocket money during their meetings. Despite her limited income, she wanted to make him happy. However, on one occasion, due to her pension not having been deposited yet, she was short on cash and gave him 1,000 yen (about $6.40 USD) instead.

Grandma is so stingy!

— GrandsonThe grandson's reaction upon receiving less pocket money from his grandmother.

Her grandson's reaction was immediate and cutting. Upon opening the red envelope, he exclaimed, "Grandma is so stingy!" without any expression of gratitude. To Tomoko's further dismay, her daughter did not correct the child but instead laughed and suggested, "Kids these days aren't satisfied with 1,000 yen, give him more next time."

This incident deeply affected Tomoko, leading her to reconsider how she spent her life and her late husband's savings of 10 million yen (about $64,000 USD). Previously hesitant to touch the inheritance, fearing it would burden her daughter, she has now begun to use the money for personal enjoyment, including travel and dining out. She has also started to create distance from her daughter's family, finding it more important to live for herself and enjoy her later years.

Kids these days aren't satisfied with 1,000 yen, give him more next time.

— DaughterThe daughter's response to her son's complaint about the reduced pocket money.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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