Castle Queen
Warrior in training
My heart is breaking today. I found out that difficult child has been racking up charges on my credit card to Itunes and Amazon (downloading books and movies onto his Kindle Fire). I had put my credit card on his Kindle Fire account to download a book difficult child really wanted and forgot to remove it when he was done downloading. I was so proud of him because he earned the Kindle himself at the school through books he had read during the year, accumulating a vast amount of points for taking tests on said books.
I noticed yesterday he was reading a new release on the Kindle. I asked him how he had come to get it and he replied that the book was free to the first 500 users to sign up. I smelled a rat. Also he was watching a movie last night, I asked how he had gotten it and he said free through his Prime account. He only had one month of free Prime when he first got the Kindle in May, and as far as I know new releases would never be free anyway.
So, I checked my credit card account online. Almost $1000 of charges. I immediately took his devices away, including access to our easy child (he is addicted to Minecraft) and told him he'd be making restitution but I have no idea how to get that much $ out of a 12 year old. He'll be doing hard labor for at least a year to pay it all off! Also, I just know he's going to refuse to do any of the chores with no end in sight. We had just started an allowance program this summer that allowed him to make up to $12 a week, so he could have a little personal money for things like ice cream, legos, etc. He wasn't even doing all that well on it after the first couple weeks.
I have no idea how to deal with this to teach difficult child his lesson. I don't even want to talk to him right now. As challenging as he's always been, I thought we had a good relationship built on trust. He knew what he was doing. My fiance has been out of work since Feb and I have been unable to sell my house, so money is tight. Does anyone have any advice for me, on how to deal with difficult child or even if there is a way I can dispute the charges without him getting into legal trouble?
I noticed yesterday he was reading a new release on the Kindle. I asked him how he had come to get it and he replied that the book was free to the first 500 users to sign up. I smelled a rat. Also he was watching a movie last night, I asked how he had gotten it and he said free through his Prime account. He only had one month of free Prime when he first got the Kindle in May, and as far as I know new releases would never be free anyway.
So, I checked my credit card account online. Almost $1000 of charges. I immediately took his devices away, including access to our easy child (he is addicted to Minecraft) and told him he'd be making restitution but I have no idea how to get that much $ out of a 12 year old. He'll be doing hard labor for at least a year to pay it all off! Also, I just know he's going to refuse to do any of the chores with no end in sight. We had just started an allowance program this summer that allowed him to make up to $12 a week, so he could have a little personal money for things like ice cream, legos, etc. He wasn't even doing all that well on it after the first couple weeks.
I have no idea how to deal with this to teach difficult child his lesson. I don't even want to talk to him right now. As challenging as he's always been, I thought we had a good relationship built on trust. He knew what he was doing. My fiance has been out of work since Feb and I have been unable to sell my house, so money is tight. Does anyone have any advice for me, on how to deal with difficult child or even if there is a way I can dispute the charges without him getting into legal trouble?