Hello all,
Being new here I thought I'd start in the section most appropriate to my life right now, teenagers.
I have a nearly 15 yo son, a 13 yo daughter and a 10 yo daughter.
Our problems at the moment revolve around our son. He hasn't been doing too well at school (and he's a smart boy), he is lazy (we decided that in return for paying for his hapkido lessons at $95 a month that he should mow the lawn once a week, which he agreed to - he hasn't mowed the lawn for over 6 weeks, coming up with all kinds of excuses), and my hubby is getting really angry with his lack of motivation. He is saying that he wants to leave school at the end of this year (Year 10) even though he knows he won't get a good job or even an apprenticeship without an HSC.
He gets angry at the slightest thing, he talks back alot (muttering under his breath), and I know it's going to get worse.
What do parents do with a boy who is going to be classed as an adult in 3 years' time, when for all his maturity he is not motivated and is failing school?
It is causing a fair bit of friction between my husband and I. Hubby thinks I am too soft on him and don't follow through consequences, which is true... but I think hubby is particularly harsh and can be unreasonable. He is the adult yet he gets angry and tries to exert his will over our son, which is just as bad because our son backs up and gets angrier - a vicious cycle.
We both realise that hapkido lessons and computer games have been distractions from study, and have decided that he will be cutting down from 3 lessons to 2 per week and that there will be no computer games played on weekdays. And I think we're going to make a list of all the big jobs that need to be done around the house with a monetary value so he can at least earn the money to pay for hapkido... so that if he doesn't do the work, he doesn't get the money, he doesn't go to hapkido... which he loves so hopefully he'll learn the consequences. Do you think that will work?
ARGH! Teenagers! | 
Global
12:15
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He said to me that he just wanted to look cool.......well I thought it couldn't hurt to let him so I provided him with 2 and he put them in his wallet.......Son came home from school rather agitated.....I asked why....they were in gym and there had been a spate of thefts principle came to multi class and demanded closest boys (bill included)to up end their school bags.....principle then proceeded to pick Sons wallet up and empty contents on floor...........out fell condoms for all to see son was mortified LOL needless to say he copped a lot of ribbing off his mates,and I must say he stopped carrying around condoms till he needed them heh heh heh. I will say this my boy used to talk to me about sex in all it's facets.Some times I used to get a little embarrassed 
