What my idiot nephew did.

[bara]

I dont hate him, Ive known him to long. Since his birth. My brother calls him son. Thats enough for me.

But did he have to run away?
Im not going to put in many details since minors are involved. But essentially him and a couple friends decided it would be a good idea to steal a truck and take off, with only 20 dollars between them, and all get jobs and live on their own.

Obviously they got caught well before they reached their destination. Did I mention none had drivers licenses?

Yeah. Worried my brother half to death. Sixteen hours of imaging what could go wrong probably took a year off his life.
Its not like he has a bad home or anything. Food always in fridge, roof over head, a family that bent over backwards so he could participate in school sports... until he 'lost' his work and his grades dropped. He also had a nice TV in his room, an Xbox courtesy of me.
So now my brother will sometime in the near future end up missing work so he can attend court since there are charges that will be pressed against the boy, who is nearly a man.

I am thankful at least that no one was hurt.

[blas87]

When I was a junior or senior in high school, a small group of friends actually attempted to run away to Cali, barely more than a couple hundred between all of them, one car (a pile of shit, mind you), because their lives were so difficult and their parents "didn't understand".

They made the news and everything, they were found somewhere in like Kansas or something, they made it nearly halfway before being found.

[kamn]

I don't mean to sound insane or cold, but why not show him the door? Pay 2 months rent for him somewhere, a meal a day for the first month and straight out tell him "Move out! We got you covered for the first 2 months, after that, you are a man, live like one!" When he comes back just explain, that he can live on his own, with all the freedom and all the consequences that come with it. I believe it would help him a LOT, if he thought that 20 dollars will get him anywhere...

[bara]

I don't mean to sound insane or cold, but why not show him the door? Pay 2 months rent for him somewhere, a meal a day for the first month and straight out tell him "Move out! We got you covered for the first 2 months, after that, you are a man, live like one!" When he comes back just explain, that he can live on his own, with all the freedom and all the consequences that come with it. I believe it would help him a LOT, if he thought that 20 dollars will get him anywhere...

You dont, hes a minor. So until hes 18 my brother and sis in law can be held responsible for him.

When he is 18, he can leave if he wants and no one will stop him. Hes not going to graduate thats for damn sure.

[kamn]

Ah my apologies. I assumed (the mother of all mistakes, eh?) that he was 20-something.

The following is assumption, again. Coming from a good home, I believe he lacks perspective, nothing else. And just about anything that his parents "inflict" upon him will only worsen the problem. Teens will be teens. I still think getting a job would be good for him, even if its only part time. One that he would feel guilty to just leave. But that would be a problem by itself (to find and maintain).

Im sorry your brother had to live through that...

[bara]

Honestly kamn, no one knows what his problem is. He has seen enough kids in bad homes that he should know the difference. He wont get a part time job. I say wont because he isnt even trying to get his license. If he doesnt have that there is no way he could get a job because all the people that would be willing to take him to and from work full time.

i truly wish he was 20 something, then it would be easier on my brother. Hell, his sister got sick she was so stressed over it.