BAB09's Journal

So he mowed the lawn Saturday and did all the "extra" stuff, and wanted to know when he would get paid.  This was really tough for me because all I hear from his sisters is that he stole this or that from their room or their purses, and they are so mad and fed up.  Also, he hacked onto sister's laptop Sunday and was on pornographic websites again, and when we came home from the store he told us he had been "so bored".  My poor 13 year old screamed when she saw what he had been looking at.  He later asked me again for money. I told him I was upset and we would discuss money this morning before school.  So we did, and I  told him we have been working on these compulsive behaviors for a long time now and I am not seeing results.  He claimed that in therapy he does work on compulsive behavior modification, I told him he needs to address the toll it has taken on his family.  No one can put a dollar or a stick of gum on a table and walk out of the room.  And then I had to give him the money.  I could not withhold it, he mowed the lawn.  However, I told him that if he did not make better decisions with the money this time, he would not be given the opportunity to earn the money again for a very long time.  ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER  THAN WORDS.......we tell him this every day.  DO SOMETHING to show your sincerity.  The therapist feels that to continually withhold cash from teens is damaging.  She acknowledges that it is difficult to "turn the page" , but necessary.  It is becoming ridiculous.  Part of me wants to see (yet again) what he decides to do with the money, and part of me knows that he is going to blow it on soda, candy, and cigarettes.  At least it's not drugs like last year, right?