First of all, our youngest (13) was caught searching through our bedroom, and retrieved the mobile phone we confiscated from our 16 year old daughter.

Both were tight lipped about it when we confronted them, and the youngest ended up confessing that she didn't like seeing her sister miserable because of not having her phone. (We confiscated it because after getting an expensive phone on a $50 per month contract, our 16 year old stopped paying her bills. You see she left her job, because she thought she was a shoe in in a bigger and better job. Well it backfired and she now has no part time work and cannot afford to run a phone. Her plan was to use it until it was disconnected.

Nope, not happening, we took it away telling her she will get it back when she can afford to run it. The youngest couldn't take her sister stealing her phone all the time and using it so she decided to find her sisters and hand it back.

Well we dealt with this situation only to be kicked in the guts by our eldest.....it turns out he has been sneaking around behind our backs and getting drunk with his mates (yeah typical teen, but still not acceptable), sneaking his phone into his room and texting all night (we have a no phone in bedroom after bedtime rule...it was the only way to stop these massive angry tired exchanges in the mornings, after staying up all night texting). He even went as far as to have a second phone so he could leave the normal one out where it should be left at night, and use the other  at night. Well after many interesting mornings where he refused to get up for school because he was tired....thew truth was revealed by his younger sister (trying to remove focus from herself after her misadventures).

We sat him down and explained the disappointment we felt, because of his actions and he was stone faced and basically told us that we are trying to stop him having fun and seeing his girlfriend.

Well the next day we were informed that after talking it over with his girlfriends parents, he was going to move in with her and live at her parents place until they could find a house of their own. He tols us he was still going to go and finish year 12 next year, and get an apprenticeship as a sparky (electrician). Well this took us by surprise, but we remained level headed and calm. This morning my lady had a few words with him and told him to do a few things before he decided to actually leave.

She told him to get some paper, work out how much income he has, and how much he thinks he will get if he gets part time work while still doing year 12. Once he has the income side written out, he is to make a list of all out going expenses he thinks he needs to worry about. Once he has finished we will sit him down and point out where he was right, and then drop the big bombshell.....

We will have listed everything we can think of that he will need to pay for to stay in school and remain clothed, fed and housed. After we deliver our list, I'll be betting that he will change his mid about leaving home. You see to date, he has had to pay for none of his living expenses, nothing at all. So when we asked both him and his 16 year old sister to start paying $10 per week board...man they spat it, screaming that we cant do that and that we are so mean and unfair....So when he finds out just what he has to do and pay to stay alive...we think he will change his mind, finish school, get his apprenticeship and save some money before leaving out of anger.

Oh another thing....his girlfriends parents allow him to sleep over every weekend and spoil him rotten. Paying for everything he wants. He feels like a fully fledged grown up, is having a personal relationship with his girl and feels he is a huge man. Well when he finds that he actually needs to fund his life when he leaves the home....he will be in a big shock..