Teenagers! Who needs them?

Although I recently got married, and I now have a teenage stepdaughter, I have also had another teenager living here for just over a year. I have discovered the dubious distinction of what it is like to have someone who thinks they can do as little as possible within the house, and treat us as if we were a free hotel!

Basically, I was railroaded into providing accommodation for the grandson of my ex partner. Last year he was in the middle of his GCSE exams when his mother decided to move out of our village and relocate to Chesterfield (about 100 miles away, or 2 hours driving). As it was too far to commute to and from his school, I was asked if I could allow him to stay at my house for 2 months while he completed his exams. I discussed this with my wife and daughter, and we all agreed to let him stay until he finished his exams.

Once we had made this agreement, one month later we were dropped another bombshell. The boy had just been accepted into the Motor sport College at Silverstone Race Circuit, to train as a Race Mechanic. This College course was for one year! As we live only 10 miles away from Silverstone, the boys mother basically told us that if he could stay with us he could go to college. If we refused, then he would lose the opportunity for a career in motor sport.

Now, for the month that he had been with us, he had been very helpful, cooking the odd meal, cleaning the house, cutting the lawn. He was also very polite to all of us. After discussing the situation with my wife and daughter, we all agreed to let him stay for one year to give him a chance at a lucrative career.

When we asked his mother to provide some payment towards the cost of supporting her son, she told us that she would transfer the child benefit over to us, and that her son would have to provide the difference himself!!! So far, in the 60 weeks he has been with us, he has only paid us the difference for one week!!! We deliberately set the amount that he should pay very low, so that he could easily pay the amount if he wanted to. Now he seems to think he can help himself to anything in the house, without asking first!

Within a few weeks of him starting College, his character started to change. He became very moody, and stopped being helpful around the house. My wife and daughter used to prepare sandwiches for him to take to his part time work, or College. At first he used to say "thank you" to them. Then he wouldn't say anything. The final straw came when the girls had prepared some sandwiches for him, he took them with him, but returned home without eating them and promptly threw them into the bin! Since that day, the girls no longer make any sandwiches for him anymore!

Another thing that has me extremely puzzled, is how items within the house strangely disappear. I have no proof of any individual person taking them, and when I have asked all members of the household, no one admits to being responsible. The most expensive item to disappear has been the webcam from my computer room. I still harbour a faint hope that perhaps it will miraculously reappear one day.

As the year progressed, he started missing lessons at college, because he stayed out well into the night with his friends. Many weekends, he was too lazy to go to his part time work, and consequently, when his employer was looking to reduce the number of staff, he was dismissed because of his poor timekeeping. Even now, with his present part time work, he thinks nothing of turning up for work at 10 O'clock when he should be there at 9!

The only light at the end of the tunnel for us is that the boy has been offered a trial as a race mechanic in Brighton. He tells us that the trial is for 2 weeks, and is supposed to be happening immanently. He has been telling us this for the past month now!! If he does go for this trial period, I hope that it proves successful, then he will have to find somewhere of his own to live.

One thing is absolutely certain though. His college course finishes in July. He will then have two choices to make. Either he moves to Brighton and commences his career as a Race Mechanic, or he goes home to his mother. He will NOT be staying with us any longer!