My Daughter Wastes Money On Coffee (And I Don't Like It)

A caller worries about her soon-to-graduate daughter spending heavily on specialty coffee, seeing it as wasteful, and seeks advice on how to address it before she starts her independent life.

Don't Lecture an Adult Child

The hosts advise against directly confronting the daughter about her coffee habit. She's a talented, good-character young woman earning a landscape architecture degree, graduating in 30 days and entering the workforce. Nagging won't work—especially post-graduation, when financial advice should only come if asked. Instead of fixing "four years of damage" in a month, parents should step back, thank their good fortune in raising her well, and let her discover issues herself. If coffee fits her values and she can afford it without harm, it's her choice, much like others' spending on lavish kids' parties or expensive cars.