Your kids are fortunate to be growing up in this most progressive and exciting time in history. That's the good news. The bad news is the very culture that offers them the world is also perpetrating this lie: You are entitled to have everything you want, even if you don't have the money to pay for it. It's not a problem — just charge it!

There's a huge consumer-credit industry that's anxious to fund that lie for your kids. They're planning to give your children their very own credit cards, aka their own personal passports to the abyss of consumer debt. They won't require your permission or approval, which today's first reader is experiencing firsthand.

DEAR MARY: My daughter who is in college got a credit card, and now she is in over her head, unable to pay what she owes.

She works part-time and makes a very small salary. With the high interest rate and late fees, the balance is now over $2,500. I will have to step in and handle it.

How can I negotiate with the credit card company to settle for less? I don't know how she got this card on her salary, but she kept quiet about not being able to make the payments until we started getting collection calls. I appreciate your thoughts and expertise. — Millie

DEAR MILLIE: I really doubt that anyone in customer service will speak with you unless you are on the account. The company may welcome your daughter adding you to the account, particularly if they've had a lot of trouble working with her. At that time you could try negotiating for a lower payoff. The worst they can do is say no.

These companies give young college students outlandish lines of credit because they know parents will rescue them, and not just one time. Statistics show that in most instances parents will save the day at least twice.

Can I give a little unsolicited advice? Don't do it. Don't bail her out. She will not learn unless she has to suffer the consequences of her actions. I predict that, if you bail her out she will be $5,000 in credit card debt within two years. She will not learn from her mistake unless she does the hard work.

You don't want to see bankruptcy and relationship issues in her future, but that's exactly where she's headed if she doesn't address this problem now.

As painful as it will be for you, it will be a valuable lesson that will allow your child to mature into a responsible adult.

Your daughter may have to drop out of school to work full-time. If that happens and if she's really interested in getting an education, she'll go back. I know that may sound harsh, but she has to understand how unacceptable this is, and that no one is going to bail her out. Make sure you are ready to offer lots of support and encouragement. She's going to need it.

DEAR MARY: Red item. White laundry. Everything pink. Do you have any remedies short of chlorine bleach? — Sydney

DEAR SYDNEY: Rewash those clothes in the hottest water they can tolerate. Use regular detergent plus 1 cup plain Cascade Automatic Dishwasher powder and 1 cup baking soda. Start the wash cycle, and then turn off the machine, or press pause (depending how your machine operates). Let the clothes soak for at least three hours, or overnight. After that, finish the cycle. Those pink undies will be white like new. I once used this method to rescue my white Battenburg lace tablecloths and napkins that had become hopelessly mildewy. It works!

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.