First a disclaimer: I know that She is only part of the problem and, no matter how much I want to, I cannot blame her for all of the issues Dad and I are facing with Him.
Before She, my son was a typical 15 year-old. He had his struggles (getting homework done and turned in all of the time, doing all his chores, staying up too late at times). He went to public school, played in the band, and had friends. He hung out with us and joked around.
November of last year, my son started dating a girl who he had known for a couple years on the internet. She lives 1,400 miles away. She is a real 13 year-old girl. Promise.
At first it was just a few missed days of school because he had spent the whole night talking to her, then a few missed assignments. He made it through the semester okay still. December, it started with him falling out with one friend because She didn't like him being friends with another girl. She threatened to kill herself if he went on a 2 day trip because they wouldn't be able to talk. He didn't go. She goes to school online. He started asking to be put in online school too.
Dad took him out to see her in January and they adored each other. Great. He came back broken, no warranty (sorry, I joke to deflect).
Now? He goes to online school, refuses to leave the house most of the time, and has lost all of his facetime friends because of her. On Friday the 15th (also Dad's birthday), he took Dad's card after we had gone to sleep, bought a plane ticket to She's state, packed a bag, and left the house. He came back an hour later because the busses weren't running yet and was somehow convinced that Dad would take him to the airport.
I laid down a list of consequences: Bedtime by midnight (no exceptions), he had to go sit outside my classes or any functions I had (being left alone was a right he had lost), go to counselling, and he was to choose 15 separate days over the next 3 months when he was to have no phone, internet, or contact with She . He less than politely refused. Only She can make me happy, you suck at parenting, I didn't do anything wrong, etc.
1) I am infuriated that my son is scheduled to go out to see her next month. Dad thinks canceling the trip is the wrong thing to do and I think letting him go is nuts.
2) I have a 4.0 GPA in school, the IQ of a genius, yet I am being outwitted by a 13 year-old girl who I have never met and a 15 year-old that has gone completely Jeckell and Hyde on me.
Now what?
Before She, my son was a typical 15 year-old. He had his struggles (getting homework done and turned in all of the time, doing all his chores, staying up too late at times). He went to public school, played in the band, and had friends. He hung out with us and joked around.
November of last year, my son started dating a girl who he had known for a couple years on the internet. She lives 1,400 miles away. She is a real 13 year-old girl. Promise.
At first it was just a few missed days of school because he had spent the whole night talking to her, then a few missed assignments. He made it through the semester okay still. December, it started with him falling out with one friend because She didn't like him being friends with another girl. She threatened to kill herself if he went on a 2 day trip because they wouldn't be able to talk. He didn't go. She goes to school online. He started asking to be put in online school too.
Dad took him out to see her in January and they adored each other. Great. He came back broken, no warranty (sorry, I joke to deflect).
Now? He goes to online school, refuses to leave the house most of the time, and has lost all of his facetime friends because of her. On Friday the 15th (also Dad's birthday), he took Dad's card after we had gone to sleep, bought a plane ticket to She's state, packed a bag, and left the house. He came back an hour later because the busses weren't running yet and was somehow convinced that Dad would take him to the airport.
I laid down a list of consequences: Bedtime by midnight (no exceptions), he had to go sit outside my classes or any functions I had (being left alone was a right he had lost), go to counselling, and he was to choose 15 separate days over the next 3 months when he was to have no phone, internet, or contact with She . He less than politely refused. Only She can make me happy, you suck at parenting, I didn't do anything wrong, etc.
1) I am infuriated that my son is scheduled to go out to see her next month. Dad thinks canceling the trip is the wrong thing to do and I think letting him go is nuts.
2) I have a 4.0 GPA in school, the IQ of a genius, yet I am being outwitted by a 13 year-old girl who I have never met and a 15 year-old that has gone completely Jeckell and Hyde on me.
Now what?