Trading Nude Photos Via Mobile Phone.....

Thanks everyone. I've done other things as punishments over time. Before when she would smart mouth me about getting her room picked up, I'd make her "mow" the yard. Only it was with scissors. Not hedge clippers, scissors. Really ruined the saturday. She's lost her bedroom door before as well. Still hasnt gotten that one back and its been 7 months. Her bedroom was where she took the pics to begin with. Nope. not happening.

When she went over on her text allotment by texting people not on our service provider was how I caught her in the first place. She sent 18,000+ messages that month. She's still owing over $200 to me for it.

In the mean time, every Saturday she isnt scheduled for the shelter, she goes around our neighborhood and asks folks if they need odd jobs done. She's helped older folks clean cupboards, clean up yards, babysit, carry groceries and walk animals. She's not allowed to ask to be paid for any of it and the neighbors know this. We live in a private community and all our neighbors have to have background checks to live here. So its safe for her to do this as well. If they give her money, she has to put 50% at least towards paying off her bill. The other is hers. If she wants to put it all towards her bill, that's fine as well. She's come home quite a few times telling me about older folks' stories that she just thought were so cool.

All in all, she's a decent kid. Straight A's, student government, nominated to governor's school for the summer and ranked right now as 2nd in her class of 524 kids. Seems the brightest screw up the worst.

There's another side of the coin as well. While it may not be every parent's thing and it sure isn't easy to do, keep the communication lines open. I told kiddo from the first time she had the "sex talk" in school that no matter what, I'll love her. I wont always let her get her own way or let her make all bad decision but I'll love her. Once she gets old enough and feels she's ready for sex, I can sit here and say "Dont do it" all I want but that's just not realistic. When she makes the decision to, i wont approve of it but I will get her contraceptives. Why? I dont want her dead. I dont want her pregnant. We have this chat about every week. So far seems to be working. Just keeping my fingers crossed on that as well. And she hasn't said anything yet.

 

You sure have got that right.
Heh, I'm always telling my daughters I'm not here to be their friend.

 

Keep up the great parenting skills I know this is a cliché but, parenting is the "hardest job" you'll ever do in life.
My dad went through some tough times with my step-sister who was a rebel with a capitol "R". She's 40 now with two kids, a supervisor, and owns her own house. She thanks my dad for never backing down, constantly.

 

It's easier for kids to get in a whole world of trouble now than when I was a kid (back there in the days of brontosaurus roast for sunday dinner.) There is so much they don't understand and are not able to understand. I don't care if they're 13 or 17, they're kids, just kids...

I can't afford to let them get away with stuff. I'm on my own most of the time and, even though I know that Ratchet will back me up when he comes home, they have to understand that I ain't taking no ##### from a teenager. I'm not as big as they are but I'm the Adult and not here to be their buddy.
I have taken bedroom doors off, have taken clothing from the laundry room and tossed it out the door after my laundry was taken out of the washer and dumped on the floor so theirs could go in... they have been "sold" into indentured servitude to help a friend clean up his grove and tear down a barn.
One afternoon, about 6 years ago, DS2 (then 16) decided he was a Big Man and was gonna tell Mama what the score was. I listened for a while, got up, walked across the room, picked him up and threw him out of the french doors onto the deck. Didn't hurt anything but his pride and neither he, nor the friend who was with him, have ever forgotten it and they have neither given me any lip, not once, since then.
I'm not a violent person but he'd been getting mouthier for some time, just stopping before he crossed the line. He crossed the line that day...

 

i wish my parents would have done some of things you guys did, to me.maybe i would have turned out alittle better.
glad to see parents actually being parents and teaching.
AND WHAT ARE THESE KIDS THINKING?????

 

Not to question anyone's parenting skills but let me remind everyone who is a parent:

• We're not here to make friends with our kids-you can't turn out responsible adults and be their "friend"
• It's your house and your rules-it is a privilege for your children to live there-You have the right as a parent to say "NO!" to whatever doesn't fit in your rules...period, no questions, no bargaining.
• If your kids don't like the rules, then it is their right to move out when they are of legal age to do so..and then they can live by their "own" rules

I know this is an obvious "duh" but I know some parents who try so hard to be a "friend" to their kids. Believe me, kids want rules, and they want boundaries, it's our job to set and reinforce those rules and boundaries.

 

Darn, I need one of those shirts, Brickman.