Toni Braxton Charges Her Children Rent

The African-American Grammy Award winning singer Toni Braxton charges her pre-teen boys rent so they would understand the value of money and behave in a responsible way.

Although her extremely successful music career enabled her to provide a more than comfortable life to her family, the famous singer thinks it is important that her kids learn the true value of a dollar. Braxton, who gained worldwide popularity with the hit song Unbreak My Heart, is also the mother of two sons, Denim, 12, and Diezel, 11.

In an interview with Queen Latifah on her U.S. daytime talk show on Thursday (22May14), Braxton revealed, “I give them allowance — Denim gets $15, Diezel gets $10 a week. They have to take out the trash, do all these things, but I make them pay me rent.” The singer continued, “I swear to God, Diezel pays 50 cents for utilities, Denim pays 25 cents for utilities, for cable… I charge them! So they give me like, $3 a week out of their allowance, I told them one day you’ll have to pay rent so I’m helping you, they get upset, (saying), ‘$3 a week mom? $3?!’”

She stresses how she wants these life lessons to prepare her children for adulthood. Namely, Braxton explained, “Just so they can understand the value of a dollar, and when they get older you have to pay bills. It was a shock to me when I found out I had to pay bills. I was like, ‘What do you mean I have to pay rent?’ So I thought I should instil that in my little boys.”