When my pregnant daughter Jane discovered her credit card maxed out on her jobless husband Mark’s indulgent massages, she was devastated. Determined to teach him a lesson, I took him on a weekend trip, turning expected leisure into a grueling wake-up call about responsibility.

Jane was in tears when she called me. “Mark stole my credit card and maxed it out on massages!” she cried. Furious, I decided it was time for a hard lesson. I told Jane, “I’ll take him to the family cottage. He thinks it’ll be relaxing, but I’ve got hard work lined up.”

At the cottage, Mark was surprised. “Here’s your weekend plan,” I said, handing him a list: repairing the roof, fixing the fence, and painting. “You need to understand real stress and hard work.” Mark struggled but kept going, realizing how hard Jane worked while pregnant.

By the end of the weekend, Mark was exhausted and humbled. I handed him an envelope with a check for $1000. “Your payment for the work you did,” I explained. “Use it to pay Jane back.”

Mark, embarrassed and realizing his mistakes, took the check. “Thank you. I understand now,” he said.

Back home, Mark apologized to Jane and handed her the check. “I’ll find a job and contribute more,” he promised. Jane, with tears in her eyes, nodded.

Over the next weeks, Mark kept his promise, working part-time and taking on more responsibilities. The experience had changed him, teaching him the value of hard work and family support.