what can be done?

What is the name of your state? Georgia

My 16 yr old daughter decided for me this week, that either I leave my husband (her stepfather, who has raised her) with her, or she would leave without me. Because she is tired of him yelling at her. So when I told her she was 16 and she wasn't leaving, and I wasn't leaving either, she decided to run away. So I called the local sheriffs office and made a report on her as a runaway, well they found her, and I had to go to the sheriffs dept and pick her up. While she was at the sheriffs office she decided to tell them there was alot of domestic violence at our house, and she was scared to go home. Another one of her wonderful lies. Well, this has caused my husband to move out of his own home, because he is afraid she will tell another lie, and he will end up in jail. I have called everyone that I could possibly think of to get some help on this, and everyone is saying "seek counseling", well that is fine and well, but it doesn't solve the problem that my husband doesn't have a place to stay for right now, and has been sleeping wherever he can. In the meantime, she has the "Oh well" attitude. Can someone please give me some suggestions? I know what I would like to do to her, but that will put me in jail. TEENAGERS!!!

Where is her bio-dad during all of this? Sounds to me like little miss sweet 16 needs a reality check. Tell your husband to move back home and tell your daughter she's free to go, that under no circumstances are you going to let her dictate how you are going to live your life. Who in the world does she think she is? Let her find out how hard life on the streets can be.

I would move your husband back home, but would not kick out your daughter. You can give her the option of living with her bio father (if possible and safe) or a family member. If she doesn't like those options, she can stay and be a PRODUCTIVE family member.

Counseling is an excellent idea. She could go individually, and then with the family.

If she keeps running away, keep reporting her. Usually the police are pretty understanding about teenagers. If there is no evidence, there is (usually) nothing to worry about. I would discuss this with the police and/or an attorney to get the best idea.

By caving in to her, she is getting what she wants. Her lies get her what she wants. As a result, she is being rewarded for her deceitfulness. This is NOT what you want. Move him back home.

I didn't mean kick her out of the house, I meant let her know that she can't control you and that if she doesn't like it, she is free to go. Let her figure out how she's going to make it on her own if she doesn't like being "yelled at" by step dad!

I do agree with cmorris, counseling is the best thing for all of you. You don't go into detail about what he yells at her about but I have a feeling it is the same stuff most of us parents yell at our teenagers about. She needs to understand that it is part of growing up, that teenagers don't get to make all the decisions that grown ups are there to help and sometimes we do it LOUDLY! LOL! But we do it because we love them. If we didn't we would let them do what ever they wanted and pay their own price for their lack of maturity. Pregnancy, drinking, drugs are just a few of the things that come to mind!

Thanks so much for all of your replies. I just needed someone else to tell me that I am right, and she is wrong. Kids don't come with instruction manuals, and suggestions from other parents are needed all the time. Her bio father is not a good idea, I wish he was, cause I would ship her to him in a quick minute. Her step-dad (who by the way, she considers her dad) is yelling at her for all the normal stuff (not cleaning her room, not getting good grades, wanting to stay gone all the time, and pretty much do what she wants to do, when she wants to do). You know, the typical teenage stuff. They think "I'm 16 and I am grown." If I knew then what I know now. I even put the mother curse on her, and can not wait for the day her child gives her more grief than she has given me. We are going today to start counseling. Cause Lord knows if she don't need it, I sure as heck do. I feel like I have lost my mind somewhere in this last week. Thanks again for all your help.

Let her run away again. Then leave her ass at the sheriff's office. They have a place for little prissy brats like this and one week there will straighten her butt out.

You haven't lost your mind...your 16 year old has!!! Tell her to welcome to the REAL world and if she doesn't believe it I'm sure there are a TON of other 16 year olds out there that will be more than willing to commiserate with her about how miserable life is as a 16 year old!!!

And I LOVE the mother's curse!! My Mom wished 12 kids just like her on my sister and she wound up with 2 of the best kids on the planet...the third however is giving her fits and we just laugh and laugh when she says anything!!

Is this your only child? If so at least you know you only have to go through this once!! I have 4 and one of them probably won't make it through alive! Juuuuust kidding!!! Keep your chin up, she'll grow up someday and you two can look back on this and laugh together!

It's even harder when you do what I did, and aquire them as teenagers...