[razeljenny]

Well, I feel so crappy. I went to the store and got a bunch of food with limited funding. It's July and I want the summer to last for me, because I don't have college till September. Well our income is small and we have to make do. Anyway, I went to Wal-mart and they rung up the groceries wrong and needed to re-ring everything; I got tempermental and just left, because my patience was warn out. Anyway when I went to Super 1 the prices weren't as good and Nate my son was a lousey miserable wreach when he saw what I bought. I did the best I could. Any way I laid in bed for a whole day feeling crummy and finally I snapped out of it. I just need support from you all. I really want to be JOYOUS AND make the summer go really slow and have a positive mental attitude. My son on the other hand is consumer orientated. I am sure some of you moms really understand how I am feeling in my gut and in my head. I need some cheer. I might not have really great food but it is fresh and edible and pretty good. He should appreciate stufff I do and not be a rag but he isn't like that. You guys please help me. thank you very much. Love robin-bird

[Maven]

Tell the boy, if he wants something else, go earn the money for it and he can buy it.

[desirae]

Yeah, remind him that there are people in Ethiopia starving and would kill for the food he just received. I think teenagers need to be reminded to be grateful because their not that aware of how difficult it is to pay and support the household. You have to remind him and be a little hard to. Say, "if you don't like what I got, then don't eat it". I hope he can get the point because it's not fair since your trying so hard.

[Praguer]

I don't have a child but I think it might be better to sit him down and give him a lesson on economics. Be open with him regarding your finances; show him your checkbook and you pay slips and explain how the math works and that inasmuch as you would love to buy him those things he likes, it's financially impossible at the moment. Maybe even give him the responsibility to manage your checkbook. He's 15! He needs to learn it sooner rather than later. And a part time job ain't such a bad idea either. If he can make his own way, he might appreciate it the struggle to make ends meet and everyone will be a little happier at the end of the day. Good luck with this! I hope it works out.

[radio_flyer]

Being a single parent and raising a teenage son comes with many trials.... Single moms sometimes feel "guilty" or are made to feel guilty because they can't buy... the expensive things their kids desire...

I fell in that trap when my son was a teen.. But he was also busy acting out which even put me on a bigger guilt trip.. So, I did buy the $120 shoes and the $100 jeans.. The T at the time wasn't much help as he kept making suggestions for me to take him to the arcade and movies and kept me doing things for my son.... I started hating quarters lol.. Now I collect em.. lol. The pressure of trying to please this kid got the best of me... Not only financially but aslo emotionally.... I am sure the type of therapy my son was in only contributed to or enabled my son for years of acting out...

..it was odd, when I went to the groc store and saw one of his friends working as a cashier to help his mother that was recently divorced... I should have told my son to get a part time job in the summer, instead of running to Kings Dominon and Hershey Park... lol.... Oh man those years... shakes me finger at myself at how "stupid" I was....... So bottom line... you can't let the kids make you feel bad with what you can afford... If you do, you will only raise a spoiled brat... My son now is 25 and looks for bargains lol.... duh on me and all that money wasted on designer clothes...

[Kalamity]

Give him paper and pencil, send him to the store with your budget and have him write down what he thinks you should get along with the prices.

See what he comes up with. Perhaps some things will fit with your budget and food choices and others won't. Try to explain why certain foods don't work (for $4 it's gone in one day, what do you eat tomorrow, you both need to eat and it's not something you can share). He may come away with a better understanding of what you are dealing with and you may find that you can compromise on some items on occasion.

he's old enough to work and contribute to the family expenses. we hear people lamenting the fact that they can't afford what their children want. if the children want it badly enough, let them work. or learn to understand what money REALLY is and how hard it is to come by.

my kids were the same way and we made them all get jobs. the girls made and sold french bread and the boys worked in grocery stores. end of *****ing. they saw how hard it was to earn enough for their movies and cokes. spare the child from the true world and end up with a lot of pain.

take care of yourself and chill. let him stew. but push the job idea. he'll gain self-esteem and some money.