Sorry for your troubles....I've been there myself. Actually, I put a locking door knob on my closet and I lock my purse, truck keys, pistol, etc. in there. I hide the keys under my mattress at night and keep them in my purse during work. I hate to live this way too, but at least i have ONE space that my stuff is safe!! Good luck

That's a good idea, but this 'clever one' taught himself to pick locks. . .he tricked me to not returning the bank card for long enough to take out another 100! At least I've changed the pin now!

Report it to the police. Let him face reality consequences and know you're not putting up with it. And you dont want him growing up thinkng its ok or you may see him become a criminal in adulthood which is no parents dream.

Well, actually, in the spring, he lost his temper & kicked the crap out of a rental bike. A witness called the cops & he spent a couple of hours in a cell. I let him cool his heels a few hours before getting him to scare him. I'm hoping it prevents him from getting into serious trouble.

Take anything of worth he has and pawn it all to get your money back

What I have is a bank account with money in it from his late father, so I'm dipping into that. At this rate, by the time he comes of age, there will be no money left!

Have you though of addressing the issue that is causing him to steal? Maybe he feels that he has to in order to get the things he wants. Perhaps setting up ways for him to earn money so he doesn't feel like he has to steal might help.

I tried that, but he's too damn lazy! Of coruse he thinks I don't pay enough, but checking in with other parents, they think I give too much!
As far as the work is concerned, I ended up hiring a guy to do some of it last month!

My daughter recently ran up a bill on my debit card. I don't think she'll do it again. She was really apologetic and remorseful...until I told her she'd have to work it off. And that there'd be no computer and no games or internet until she does.

Now she's surly, tries to get around restrictions, and won't do anything.

Tonight we got into a physical altercation when I tried to take her handheld game from her.

No one to talk to, no one around me has problems remotely like this one.

Can't help feeling this is my fault.

Prioritymail- you aren't alone here, probably have this problem in common with more people around you than they will admit. Teens are unruly creatures as a general rule, especially with their parents.
It's not our faults. They will exercise their independance until they hopefully grow out of it.