SHE LOVES ME - NAH -NAH - NAH
Everybody's Uncle,
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your reply to MOVING OUT IN SOUTH CAROLINA because as a mother of a 17 year old I can COMPLETELY understand how 'hard' kids have it (ha-ha). Granted, some do - but the majority are so spoiled they just do not realize it. My 17 year old who has recently moved out, and into a different school district, may have to move back home since she cannot enroll herself into school ;)
What I wonder is, how can the law say kids can legally move out, if the school district does not even recognize them as an 'adult'??? Oh, and from what an attorney told me this morning, I can be held accountable if she is not in school.
(unsigned)
Mom,
Rules regarding emancipation vary from state to state and are not cut and dry in many places. One of the very muddy areas is the age and/or circumstance under which kids MAY qualify for emancipation prior to the occasion when they ARE emancipated by legal qualification.
Many kids in this column ask about the LEGAL age but my response addresses feasibility along with some general guidelines. Kids often think they can move in with a relative or friend and the job is done – not so. Parents should be aware that even if the child has moved out, they may find themselves no less responsible to the child. Homes that harbor un-emancipated children might be responsible for the care and conduct of the child. It is best to seek legal advice in ALL situations where the child has simply left as a runaway, or allowed to take residence elsewhere.
Kids with computers, cell phones, a warm home and endless amenities adjust to that as a standard and assume it is a birthright. Working parents that truly love their kids often forget how important it is that kids know they are loved. Uncle Jimmy points out 3 universal motivators; Punishment, Reward, and Love. Punishment should fit the offense. Reward should relate to conduct. Love should never be in doubt. I part company with the so-called experts that say you should not be friends with your kids – NONSENSE! You should be the best friend your kids have. Peers are not friends, they are playmates – let’s not confuse the two.
Day care, TV, school and peers occupy most of our kids’ time. If you believe screaming what is right and wrong at your kids every time you happen to bump into them carries a message of love – I beg to differ. Parenting is not easy but tough circumstances don’t change the rules.
Single parents, working parents, and divorced parents can lament their circumstances but it does not change the rule. KIDS NEED LOVE – that is the responsibility of the parents.
Everybody’s Uncle
