DEAR HARRIETTE: My 16-year-old daughter is going through a rebellious phase. She has a lot of jealousy toward her friends because they come from wealthy families. My husband and I are middle class, but this is not good enough for my daughter. She often comes home from school and yells at me and my husband for not making enough money. She wants to have the same things and experiences that her friends have, and because she can’t, she feels less than them. I tell her that her dad and I worked hard to get where we are today. We came from poor families and have overcome so much. We have a beautiful house, all the necessities and more. However, this still doesn’t compare to her friends’ families in her eyes. Their families go on extravagant vacations, drive luxury cars and wear designer clothes. She constantly asks why we can’t give her the same lifestyle. What hurts the most is that she speaks about our financial situation with embarrassment.
