Times Boundaries Are Hard To Set With Family, But Important

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You don’t have to ice them out right away

Let established patterns dictate how you handle someone. “I’m all about giving people one to two chances up top,” Jackson says. “They have to show they’re putting in effort. If you see, for example, a cousin who is working two jobs and going to school and needs $50, of course give it to her, but if that person is living on mom’s couch and not even looking for a job, you’re not going to enable that. In that case I would give them resources. Not from my own personal or professional connections. I may say, ‘I heard this place was hiring. I saw this ad. It could be a freelance job for you. You should apply,’ and things of that nature that encourage them to be independent. As an adult, you should have that capacity to fend for yourself.  I know some of us start off in different spaces, but I am all about helping people have a sustainable life. If you keep feeding that money habit, it’ll always be a thing. And when you finally say no, it can be a lot more drama than if you’d said something at the beginning.”