Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Advice needed please

5 replies

mrslb333 · 16/06/2013 23:28

Hiya, I've not posted before but really need some advice.
I have 5 children 2x4, 10, 12, 14 eldest son has aspergers but very high IQ. All live with me and my husband eldest 2 from a previous relationship see their father every other weekend. My husband works away mon-fri but at the minute he's working away for weeks at a time.
Yesterday I discovered eldest son had stolen £10 from my purse. He asked for money the night before but was told no because he hadn't done his chores at all this week (he's expected to do the washing up from tea, wipe the worktop if necessary and take the rubbish to the bin. Also to keep his room in a reasonable state as we are trying to sell the house).
He'd left for his dads at this point so I tried calling his mobile all day no answer, eventually got hold of him but he did the usual denying thing he does. He's some sort of master at lying in these situations its a monthly occurrence money going missing and everytime he will deny deny deny until you almost believe him but eventually he will admit what he's done. I hide my purse usually but had forgot to take it to bed with me.
I gave up on the phone waited till he got home this evening I was fairly calm at this point. Grandparents dropped him off as usual but his Granny told me not to tell him off as she doesnt believe he'd do something like that. She said she was in 2 minds whether to bring him back tonight because she doesnt agree with him being told off.
He came him looking at me all smug I asked him why his bedroom was a mess (not just a mess he's emptied his drawers out on the floor, drawers broken off the runners a bag of flour from somewhere opened and thrown around with the clothes it looks like a bomb has gone off it was only redecorated a month ago). I told him to leave his magic cards (a game he's obsessed with) on the sofa and he could have them back when he'd sorted his mess.
He jumped into my face, he's bigger than me before and usually he'll go for me but his sister was watching so he thought better. He ran to his room and I went after told him I paid for his cards he gives them me now. He was screaming at me that I cant take them. So I said it's my house you're not going in that room give me the cards, at that point I was fuming and then he screamed in my face it's not my house his dad paid for it (his dad never paid a penny towards it, his dads told him the truth about everything. I screamed at him to get downstairs he ran to the front door, I managed to get the keys then he jumped out the sitting room window and ran off.
I called his grandparents when I finally got through to them they said he'd already called them and were bringing him back. She turned up at the door ds standing behind her looking sheepish. She said he's going to his dad. I said no because dad is court ordered no overnight visitation, and he needs to come back face the music, accept he's done wrong and apologize. Then she told my daughter she'd pick her up to go for tea in the week and left.
At this point I'm hysterical. I spoke to dh who then called grandparents, explained that this is a regular occurrence now with the stealing, that he will deny everything to everyone etc. Told her we only give him money if he earns it, baring in mind sometimes its £30 a week he wants, we don't find it too unreasonable to expect him to help out a bit to earn it. Granny disagreed said he shouldn't be expected to do anything and I've brought it on myself.
The point now is I really don't know what to do. Any advice would be gratefully accepted.
Thank you x

OP posts:
ripsishere · 17/06/2013 02:47

My best advice is this: paragraphs are your friend.
Grandparents sound over involved to me, presumably they are the parents of your Ex DH?
Can you limit the amount of time your DS spends with them.

NatashaBee · 17/06/2013 03:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrslb333 · 17/06/2013 08:12

Yes sorry paternal Grandparents.
My ex will not speak to me at all and has gone through his parents since he walked out 11 years ago. They do not believe son should be punished and should not have any chores or responsibilities.
I can limit the time they spend with him and go back to the court ordered hours. I changed it because ex found it easier to have a full weekend every other week with them staying at grandparents overnight, so I tried to be the bigger person and agree.
I don't know what to do now to get him home.
I would ideally of liked them to back me up on this, but now every time he does something wrong he knows he can wriggle out of it.

OP posts:
rusticlanguage · 17/06/2013 15:22

Sorry for your situation, it sounds very upsetting. I am a bit confused - is your ds now with the GP or with his father? Why does your ex not have overnight visitation - is there some issue there?

I assume that your ds will be wanting to come home soon, back to the security of normal routine. Unfortunately it seems he is using the difficult relationship you have with your ex and ex-in-laws to get an advantage for himself. That's unfair on you but is very common especially with teenagers, to take out their frustrations on the parent with residency and idealise their relationship with the non-resident parent.

If whoever he is with won't bring him home you need to remind them they are breaking a court ordered arrangement.

watchingout · 20/06/2013 21:35

Agree that the grandparents need to butt out. Can't you make dropoff/collection arrangements through another intermediary if your ex won't cooperate?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread