Final week just before Christmas break is a very difficult time of the year for my high school sophmore. How do you study when everyone is having Christmas parties and enjoying all the christmas events?  Easy, I don't let him go... Esh

So he hides in his room and says he's studying... Music is playing he's singing, laughing and talking to friends... This is not my definition of studying.   How do I motivate this kid?  He's too old to make him read to me and sit at the kitchen table so I can watch him do homework while I make dinner.   or is he?..

"Hey kid, why don't you come down here so I can see what you are studying?"
----no answer

"Hello? what are you working on?
--- stuff
--- Hey did you get me a snow jacket for Christmas 'cause Dad got me pants... 

"I'm not telling you... are you studying? "...
--- no but I just sent you the kind of jacket I want. 

Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And maybe I'll love you
Beep beep'm beep beep yeah - Beatles

No Bs no Keys! yes i said NO Bs NO KEYS... that doesn't mean you tried to get good grades that means when I look at School Loop (School Progress report App) it shows nothing lower than Bs for each subject. Here we go with teen number 2....

Hey boys,

I'm not a spa that can handle 30+ minute showers. I see you in there falling asleep standing up or laying in the tub letting the shower wash over you. Don't you see walls dripping when you're done with the shower? I am not a steam room or a sauna... don't you see the black mold appearing on my ceiling? 

As a parent I believe you have to forgive and forget kids’ mistakes.  Especially as they grow and change as teenagers.  Don't get me wrong, there must be an appropriate consequence but I try my hardest to move on and give them another chance.  But this event shook me up and I have to admit, I am struggling to keep my sense of humor.
It started last night when I asked my 19-year-old to please be home at 9am (don't take off to surf all day) and hang out for an hour.  I needed him to wait for the installation guy, who gave me a window of 9-1pm, because no one else over 18 was available. He agreed; “no problem, Mom”.  I said, I trust you to stick to this plan, I've been waiting for this guy for 3 weeks and we don't want to miss him. I let him know I had job interview and I'll be back at 10:00am.  I know it sounds like silly details but these were the facts that became an explosive argument. ​

Graduating High School is a big deal, for my oldest son it has been an emotional rollercoaster ride. He is a bit older than most seniors at 19 (due to a "do-over" in 1st grade) but his grades are not college worthy. So he conflicted, he has all the excitement to move out, be on his own and has even told me "You really don't need to parent me anymore".. But he's caught in the limbo stage of I'm an adult but I can't support myself yet so I need to stay home and live with my parents... (heavy sigh... ) He can easily get a job, he's charming, handsome, social and knows how to use it to his advantage. But, he doesn't seem to hold on to a job more than 3 months. He also can't decide if he's:

• going to jr. college or start his own business,
• work or take a surf trip around the world,
• sell his car and get a motorcycle or keep his car

But he knows he wants to make money... I really do love all his entrepreneurial ideas, he has new ones every day....