@6:45am, my kid texts me from his room...

[Dendarii_Dame]

I read about a dad who punished his kid by making him cut the grass.

With nail scissors.

[Boogly]

Are there any father/son chores type stuff you can do together?
This is how you iron an outfit. This is how you change oil in the vehicle. This is how you polish your shoes. These are the different ways to tie a knot in a tie.

This is how you take the truck off roading safely. This is how you walk home.

[Ranger_Jeff]

@kayaker

When I was 17 and would go out drinking with my friends, this was my dad’s thing to do. Wake me up early and tell me we were going to put a pond in the yard. I would dig all day long, hungover.

The hole would sit there until my next wild night, then I would be told to refill the hole, as the pond idea fell through. I never realized what was going on!! Until 4 years later when my little brother complained to me about having to dig a hole while hungover, then epiphany.

Have you ever seen “Cool Hand Luke”? :rolleyes:

[bobot]

@QuickSilver

…“Sorry, I don’t have to work until 1pm today.”

:mad:

I’ve been up since 6am knowing I have to drive him to work this morning. I’m nearly done my coffee so there’s no way I’m going back to sleep at this point. And last night we sat together to a late supper and had the conversation about when he had to be at work. 7:45am, he said. In time to open, he said.

WTF.

Since we’re both up, should I have him?:

a) scrub the garage
b) wax the roof
c) rotate the driveway pavers
d) <what say you?>

I say: D) It is Saturday. Take a nap after you take him to work at 1, and you’re even.

[Enginerd]

@Ranger_Jeff

Have you ever seen “Cool Hand Luke”? :rolleyes:

Any man forgits 'is work schedule spends a night in the box.

[Ca3799]

If I were you, I would have used my early morning to get something done that I had been meaning to do.

For me, this would have been a minor inconvenience at best and I would have either gone back to bed or found something to do.

[BigT]

The only punishment that I think would fit the crime would be to get him up early when he doesn’t actually have to be up.

[Cartooniverse]

Remove text messaging from his phone. A simple call to the provider immediately stops incoming and outgoing.

Your kid is old enough to open a place of business but not mature enough to get out of the bedroom to have a face to face talk?

:dubious:

[Count_Blucher]

I know that its barely October, but your yard might need raking. It’ll aerate your lawn and help you to have a heathier yard.

[wellanuff]

@Jumpbass

… my 17 yo daughter decided do demonstrate that she thinks we were waking her up too early by slamming her bedroom door shut. Very loudly…

Sorry for the hijack, but I grew up in a household where doors were slammed almost daily as an expression of displeasure, anger, etc. I remember my mother had a workman come in one time to tighten up (renail) the door jambs because gaps were opening up as a result of all of the slamming.

I decided that particular custom would not be passed down or tolerated in the next generation.

I have a high school student (a boy) who slammed a door once. I pretty calmly told him doors are not be slammed and if he did it again, I would remove the door. (I’m sure I’m not the only parent to have had this bit of inspiration.)

A few months later he did it again, and I kept my word. After a few days, I put his door back, and he never slammed it again.

Teenagers like their privacy. He realized that not slamming the door is a small and not unreasonable price to pay for the privilege of privacy.

[Frank]

@johnpost

a dry marker board calendar in the kitchen would be a good place for schedules, especially those things that impact others.

this might help eliminate problems caused by forgetting to mention something or not mentioning it far enough in advance.

This. Though I’ll say that a 15 year old forgetting his schedule doesn’t seem to me like it’s worth more than a “Damn it, son! Next time you’re walking to work!”

[kaylasdad99]

@QuickSilver

…“Sorry, I don’t have to work until 1pm today.”

:mad:

I’ve been up since 6am knowing I have to drive him to work this morning. I’m nearly done my coffee so there’s no way I’m going back to sleep at this point. And last night we sat together to a late supper and had the conversation about when he had to be at work. 7:45am, he said. In time to open, he said.

WTF.

Since we’re both up, should I have him?:

a) scrub the garage
b) wax the roof
c) rotate the driveway pavers
d) <what say you?>

d) Walk to work. He’s got plenty of time.

[QuickSilver]

@IvoryTowerDenizen

The OPs son didn’t oversleep and it doesn’t seem like anything more than lighthearted “conflict”. Not sure how this is relevant.

@Frank

Though I’ll say that a 15 year old forgetting his schedule doesn’t seem to me like it’s worth more than a “Damn it, son! Next time you’re walking to work!”

These.

My wife wouldn’t let me make him dig a pond.

[BoBettie]

I don’t have kids (and hell I don’t really even like them!) but I don’t think he did anything egregious- the OP was just venting some steam. People make mistakes, it’s probably not the last time it will happen. Give him a break!

My roomie has a GREAT kid- I mean if I were going to have a kid I would just clone this one, he’s so good. Same age, 15. His father was supposed to drop him off for school (mom and dad don’t live together) and she was to pick him up- she drove 40 minutes there then waited for 30 minutes wondering where he was- she called finally and he was aghast- he was home sick and forgot completely to call her. She was PISSED (of course) but seriously, what are you going to do? It’s not a pattern of behavior it was just a mistake. We all make 'em. And texting? So what. My boyfriend and I text in the same house sometimes instead of yelling for the other person if they are on the other side of the house or getting out of a comfy bed. Who cares?

[GusNSpot]

Back in the day, my wife & I had computers in the same room that faced each other.

We had many very good discussions via IM’s. Had to think about it, type it out, did not need instant response etc., Actually prevented many fights or inflammation of an on going difference of opinion.

In our house when we were children with some responsibility or other, we would get one time rescue about time or getting to work or whatever. Then you were on your own.

Slam a door in my parents house??? We were never that crazy.

[jtur88]

Take your cup of coffee outdoors, and relax, and see what the world is like at that hour of the day when you don’t have anything else to do but just take it all in. If yuou’re lucky, maybe some day yuour kid will come out and join you.

[Doctor_Jackson]

@bucketybuck

He texted you. From his bedroom.

What sort of fucked up kid you raising there?

Huh? I text my kids sometimes from within the house, for several reasons:

1. It’s what they do. They may have earphones in and can’t hear me, but the phone is always in their hand, and
2. If I’m on one end of the house and supper is ready, why should I schlep to the back of the house, say “Supper is ready!” and then schlep back to the kitchen when 1).

[butler1850]

Too late, but the reply is simple…

“I forgot, I have a personal appointment from 12-2 today.”

[UncleRojelio]

My kids text me from their room because I text them from mine. It cuts down on the yelling.

**BoBettie[\b] If I had a nickel for every time one of my kids left me hanging outside the school I’d be rich. If you are doing it right, kids are so busy that they frequently lapse on some of the details. No biggie.

[JerrySTL]

@Dendarii_Dame

I read about a dad who punished his kid by making him cut the grass.

With nail scissors.

My father use to make me dig up dandelions with a spoon. And we had a lot of them. Once when I knew he and my mother were going to be away from the home for a few hours, I bought some weed killer and applied a healthy dose to the lawn. It took him a little while to figure out another chore for me to do.