Tractor rampage

[ChickenNecks]

Well,

Last night my 15 year old son crossed the line. I have been teaching him basic tractor care and maintenence and letting him operate my Deere to get him used to it. I finally let him use it for basic tasks when i am there to supervise.

Evidently, last night the neighbor boy and him got into his fathers liquor cabinet and decided to fire up old Betsy and see what she could do (at about 1230 am). /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I thought I heard it turn over but I was watching MASH reruns and decided it was the TV. That was until I heard a scream and jumped out of bed.

I go outside in the middle of my son trying to flip his step-mothers VW Beetle over with my FEL. He was wearing nothing but his underwear and a cowboy hat and giggling like a schoolgirl.

His friend ran Tad when I came out, dropping a bottle of Jaegermeister. I pulled him off the seat but he managed to escape into the woods. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Not only was the car severely damaged, but he had demolished the dog house (Our dog is STILL missing), pulled up about 20 feet of fencing in the goat pen (Took me an hour to corral 6 terrified goats), caved my tuff shed doors in, and leveled a birdbath and 4 rosebushes. On top of all this, he had drug the pen fencing over my fathers vegetable garden and demolished it.

I don't even know where to start. There is probably thousands of dollars of damage and my son has not come back home yet.

My insurance will never believe this.

Lew

 

[Jagmandave]

Wow, kids and liquor just don't mix, do they?
I'm sorry for you, you have a tough road ahead with this boy. I hope it's the first time he's ever gone off this half cocked and that when he wakes up he'll realize what he did and be contrite. Give him a chance to say he's sorry and make it up to you - work his **** off to pay for the damage............
Good luck.

 

[slowrev]

My sympathies. Your insurance company might go after the neighbors for damages. And since your son was involved, might not even pay off. Good luck and keep the keys put up.
Ben

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Lew, I don't really know what to say. One thing about being a parent is that we just try to do the right thing and hope the kids turn out alright. I know the first time I got called in to talk to my daughter's teacher the only thing I was worried about was if she was a "good person" because I figured if the teacher thought she was, then any bad thing she might have done would be an "isolated" event. I hope for the sake of your boy that this was just a one time wild event and that he realizes what he did was wrong.

I'm guessing you are not going to be letting him buy a car any time real soon?

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

I got lucky with my son.... He never did much to push dad over the edge.

My daughter on the other hand......

Kids do things like that from time to time. No matter how well you THINK you've taught them, they just loose their minds.....

If it was my son, I'd probably "sentence" him to a summer that he won't soon forget. I'd also have a long talk with "neighbor boys" parents.

All I can say is, don't loose sight of the fact that you still have an obligation as a parent to try and show him (1) what he did wrong, (2) WHO all he hurt, (3) why his life may be in jepardy should he try a stunt like that again.

Don't give up on him. But don't LET UP on him either.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[Wannafish]

1. Be firm.

2. Follow thru on whatever punishment you dish out - absolutely no caveing in on it. ("Ok, you can go just this one time..." is NOT helping.)

3. Make the punishment fit the crime...remember that although there is alot of damage, it was ONE instance and needs to be treated as such.

4. Once the punishment ends, don't keep dwelling on what he DID. It's over.

Advice from someone who has been there...from both perspectives. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[roho]

WoW NO structural damage to the HOUSE! Thank Goodness for small blessing and that U'r little darling wasn't hurt! Well U ain't gonna beleive this BUT, BUT Someday YOU and he will look back on this and laugh! Sounds like YOU got some good advise already and remember things could have been worse!

 

[chucko]

Haha ChickenNeck....try to see the humor in it and don't hurt the boy (too bad anyhow). I know it does not seem funny to you now but in a few years it will

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Maybe a call to the sheriff & a nite in jail would give him a dose of reality. I know if my son did anything like yours did there would be many long hours of work ahead for him this summer. What about his friends parents too ?? They obviously need a wake up call too !! How was your son's behavior before this ?? Any signs you might have missed that might have been noticed ?? I was no saint in my teen years either, but I had a good sense of right & wrong & took full responsibility for the things I did because I KNEW it was wrong. Good luck on this one..........you'll need it !!

 

[slowzuki]

Nothing quite like a part time job to pay off damages. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif