Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

How would you have dealt with this ‘tween situation?

As we’re leaving a friend’s place tonight (after sitting around the fire pit) my tween gets on his scooter as though he’s going to ride home alone. I tell him to put the scooter in the Jeep and get in (it’s dark at this point and I’m not going to let him scoot home alone)
Now he’s pissed (teenaged hormones!) and he’s questioning me. After some discussion, and as he’s seated in the seat next to me, he says cockily, “ You better not try to stop me from riding my dirt bike like this, or else I’ll make your whole weekend miserable!”

Of course I responded with some version of “Ha! Who do you think you are? As if you have that kind of power!”

He said “Oh yeah,? Like you can stop me....I know how to syphon gas”

(Earlier in the night, we had discussed the fact that he needs to earn his tanks full of gas when we are out dirt biking, and that gas isn’t free)

Anyway...at that point I reached out and smacked his mouth. As far as I am concerned, he deserved that smack. He was being totally cocky and the smartassery was running rampant!

How would you have dealt with it?
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
hlpflwthat · M
Sounds like he was looking for a boundary and found it.

Next I'd powwow with his dad about the dirt bike and what an appropriate amount of down time is for threatening you.