Parenting

[Jess]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Jess/christie,

I am assuming that the reason you are not grounding him from time with friends is because you want him to socialize, since this is new for him?

You say this is the one thing he values.

We have tried not to do that, however, we are both at the point of yes, we take away his privileges again until he gets it. In the past, his currency was the internet. I had no problem blocking him but he would call his mom at work every ten minutes so I would turn it back on , until she learned that she could just not answer the phone when he was having his little 7 year old tantrums. Now, he knows when I shut it off he doesn't need to bother doing the manipulation trip.

This evening, I made him aware that as of tomorrow morning, there will be no internet and no friends coming or going until his room is cleaned, he is bathed and his laundry done. Of course, he will do what he always does and ask me to leave it on while he is cleaning and of course, I will say no.

I think for me, I get very tired of the same argument, the same issues, over and over and I do just "throw up my hands". I get tired of the privilege, the apathy, the smart ass treatment he gives to his mother and fear becoming just as apathetic where he is concerned.

We'll see how it goes this weekend. We have also set time limits/ curfews for him being out at night and how late his friends can hang out unless it is a sleepover. As this is still "new" to him, the having friends thing, we have been trying to teach him things he would have learned years ago, had he the opportunity/ confidence then to be more social.

Thank you all for being so supportive. We'll just keep pluggin away!