My son turned 16 two weekends ago. I've been asking him for months if he was interested in getting a learners permit. His answer was always no.
My ex emailed me today at 4:30pm (custody exchange is at 5pm) and said that our son had asked her to take him to get his permit, that he had passed, that she had added him to my insurance and I would need to do the same.
I would never have agreed to him getting a permit without stipulations. The primary being that he would be required to work and pay for his insurance.
It should be noted that he doesn't need a license. We live in a major city. His mom and I both live on a lightrail line. There are plenty of places to work along the lightrail. His school is halfway between our places and within walking distance. He doesn't participate in any activities that require driving him to them.
I called my insurance provider and asked "when my son turns 16 and gets a permit, even if he only lives with me 50% of the time, and I do not allow him to drive, does he have to be on my policy?" They said yes.
So, he shows up at 5 and I tell him to call his mom and have to wait. He's not staying with me anymore. He's welcome to come back when he has a job. I told him that he decided to make adult decisions without my input, and those decisions have financial ramifications for me, so these are the consequences.
He called his mom and left.
I have warned him multiple times that if he plays me off his mom, that he will find himself in the same boat as his mom in my eyes.
Thoughts?
[–]CaregiverBoring4638 22 points23 points24 points (4 children) | Copy Link
[–]kdthex01 9 points10 points11 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (2 children) | Copy Link
I don't care that he has it. I care that he got it without understanding what my requirements would be. I.e. that he work and pay for insurance.
He is more than capable of texting or calling me to let me know about the situation. Instead, he let his mom do it, after he had the permit. Nobody stopped him from keeping me in the loop. He chose not to.
He's not living under my roof until he has a job to pay for insurance.
[–]Gxl4 4 points5 points6 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Mccolleen82 16 points17 points18 points (3 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (2 children) | Copy Link
I totally agree with you and am prepared to have that conversation when he's ready to talk.
I'm not an angry or quick to react person. He's only ever seen me angry once, and that was when I caught him in a lie about getting in trouble at school.
[–]Funny_Wolverine_9 6 points7 points8 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Third_Eye78 5 points6 points7 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]James1933-75 4 points5 points6 points (5 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (4 children) | Copy Link
The insurance person said "all family members that are licensed, that live in the same house as you, must be listed on your policy."
[–]xjeeperx 1 point2 points3 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[–]StopPlayingTheGame 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]jnuttsishere 8 points9 points10 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[–]214speaking 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]pegleg_legal 7 points8 points9 points (3 children) | Copy Link
[–]pegleg_legal 2 points3 points4 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (1 child) | Copy Link
I'm not making him choose sides.
I'm making him realize that when he makes decisions, in this case without consulting me, that there are consequences.
[–]pegleg_legal 0 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]patently_pleasant 10 points11 points12 points (8 children) | Copy Link
[–]ohisama 3 points4 points5 points (3 children) | Copy Link
[–]Rock_Granite 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]patently_pleasant -1 points0 points1 point (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]pegleg_legal -1 points0 points1 point (0 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (3 children) | Copy Link
You ignored the part where I asked him for months if he wanted to learn to drive.
I've spent two Christmas with him in 16 years. What's your point? He chooses to spend it with my ex's parents.
[–]patently_pleasant 1 point2 points3 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (1 child) | Copy Link
I asked him if he wanted to learn to drive. He said no. If he had said yes, I would have said "great, let's get started learning, but first, you need to understand that I expect you to work and pay for insurance."
This is an extremely hurtful thing to say. I spent all but 2 holidays alone because my ex wanted to see her family more than she wanted to do things with me. If that makes me the asshole, I guess there's not much I can say.
[–]patently_pleasant 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Darkfire66 2 points3 points4 points (7 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (6 children) | Copy Link
I moved out and moved 2000 miles away from my parents when I was 17. I've lived on my own ever since.
My folks are my best friends. I talk to them daily.
[–]Darkfire66 0 points1 point2 points (5 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (4 children) | Copy Link
I haven't heard from him since he left. That was 6 hours ago.
If he's anything like me, I won't hear from him for months. Maybe years.
[–]SaltyB-enjamin 0 points1 point2 points (3 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (2 children) | Copy Link
No, but he's 16. I can't force him to communicate.
[–]SaltyB-enjamin 0 points1 point2 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]ctgjerts 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Ridethelightning1987 0 points1 point2 points (4 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (3 children) | Copy Link
This is my feeling as well. He didn't know what my rules would be, but knew I would have rules.
I'm the parent with rules and consequences. My ex is the one that buys his affection.
[–]Ridethelightning1987 0 points1 point2 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (1 child) | Copy Link
No. My ex and I make the same amounts and she lost that legal battle.
[–]Ridethelightning1987 2 points3 points4 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]InternationalIce5237 1 point2 points3 points (4 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (3 children) | Copy Link
Any actionable feedback?
[–]InternationalIce5237 1 point2 points3 points (2 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (1 child) | Copy Link
He knows I have a junker lined up. I got it all sorted and was super crushed when he told me he didn't want to get a license.
[–]InternationalIce5237 1 point2 points3 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]walksonair -1 points0 points1 point (3 children) | Copy Link
[+]toooldforthisnonsens1 points [recovered] (2 children) | Copy Link
I haven't cut communication. I called him and left a message and said that when he was ready to talk about the situation, I would be ready to listen.
[–]walksonair 2 points3 points4 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Hereforthatandthis 0 points1 point2 points (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]degs35 0 points1 point2 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]CowlickCarl -1 points0 points1 point (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]zippyweinstein 0 points1 point2 points (1 child) | Copy Link
[–]Material_Effective78 -1 points0 points1 point (0 children) | Copy Link
[–]Aimeereddit123 -1 points0 points1 point (0 children) | Copy Link