Emancipation

[pixiestick]

What is the name of your state? Texas
I am sixteen. I NEED to get emancipated but I do not know all the rules. I need to know everything. I have a job that pays six dollars an hour, and I am in the process of finding another place to live. I NEED this information really bad!

 

[thelizzy]

Six dollars an hour is not going to pay rent, feed you, clothe you, pay bills, pay for transportation to and from work, pay utilities, pay for insurance and enable you to further your education so you don't have to work for minimum wage, especially if you are still in high school and only working part-time.

What are your reasons for wanting to be emancipated?

 

[pixiestick]

Six dollars can support me if I live with a roommate and seeing as I don't need any new stuff and have pretty much everything I need. I get free meals at work so I already live on chinese food from work... all I would need to pay for is rent and my part of the bills. I need to get emanciapted so that i can concentrate on my school work and everything else without constantly having to worry whether my dad and stepmom are going to go through will their threats of saying they are going to throw me out or send me to my drug addict birthmother. My stepmom has almost complete control over my father and he will do anything that she tells him. I need to just know what to expect in my life instead of the constant worring... I have people that will help me get adjusted to the complete living on my own instead of partial. And there is more! (And I don't need transpotation to and from work my transportation is my feet, my work is acroos the mall from where I go to school, and i use the via bus to get to school already so)

 

[stealth2]

Unfortunately for you, living with a roommate is not going to impress a judge. You need to be able to show him.her that you can support yourself BY yourself. That means rent on a place with noone else helping you (as in a roommate).

 

[pixiestick]

Then how the hell are you supposed to do this **** becuase I can't get an apartment by myself unless I get emancipated and I can't get emancipated unless I have an apartment! I swear I f*&^ing hate my damn life!

 

[stealth2]

YOU GROW UP is how you do it. If you think you're mature enough to be emancipated, you take the time to research what needs to be done (you realize that you need your parents' consent, right?) and make a plan how to get those things accomplished.

So you figure out how to earn enough money to support yourself by yourself, including an apartment on your own (as long as you can show that you CAN do that, you CAN have a roommate), utilities, food, clothing, transportation, schooling, entertainment.

You basically need to show the judge that you are mature enough to take care of yourself completely. Until then, you're a 16 yo kid who has to deal with mean parents who don't understand you. Like all the rest of us did. Funnily enough, your mean parents get a hell of a lot smarter and nicer by the time you hit 20/22.

 

[thelizzy]

Well said, Stealth. I suspected just as much as you suggested when I first read the OP, but held my tongue.

16 is a very hard time for many teens, and I remember "hating" my parents then too. Consequently, now that I'm 23, we're the best of friends. It's funny how parents often do know what is best for a CHILD.

And I'm going to reiterate the whole $6 an hour thing with the following math lesson:

Rent Per Month (being generous and giving you a roommate): $250
Food (because you can't live on JUST chinese food): $100 a month (again, generous)
Utilities: $100 a month (unless you plan to live without electricity, gas, and water)
Doctor's bills when you get sick from not eating right and working too much: $100 (again, generous, since you won't have insurance, if you get really sick, it'll be even MORE expensive)
Entertainment: $100 a month (that includes CDs, clothing that you have to have, movies, cable TV)

You're looking at $650 a month in expenses, AT LEAST. And even that is a laughable amount in ANY state.

Let's say that you're in school during the week from 8-3 (too bad you won't have any time for extracurricular activities, since you'll be busy working to pay your bills) and work 5 days a week for 8 hours. That's 40 hours a week (unless you want time to do your homework, but you need all the money you can get). And you HAVE to stay in school, because judges don't emancipate kids to become high school dropouts.

40 x 6 x 4 weeks= 960.
960 x .75 (because there ARE governmental taxes)= $720

Doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for expenses that may just "come up."

That free rent from your parents is looking pretty good right now, isn't it?

 

[Jymbo]

Hello, my name is Jym, pixiesticks father. You may call her Ky as that is her name.
Yes, the intrusive parents are checking in.

First off let me thank you, thelizzy for your instructive math lesson. Although it was extremely generous since you could only speak in generalities and not specifics related to economics in San Antonio, and your tax rate was a little too low at 25%. But I think it will be very enlightening for her. San Antonio economics would actually show her NOT being able to meet her financial obligations by about 70.00 per month. But that is sage financial advice nonetheless

After having read her posts I feel that a few rebuttals must be posted, whilst still trying to keep it from turning into War &Peace vol.2. She demanded her Removal of Disabilities (Texas’ version of Emancipation) the other night . She was saying she was too stressed to do her school work, and I have pointed out to her that all of her posts to this forum have been while she is at school, perhaps she should concentrate on activities INSIDE her school. This is an alternative school that she HAD to go to (admittedly her old school system would suck the life out of Mother Theresa), and we moved heaven and earth to get her into this school. I have also pointed out that since the school system owns the computers she was using they can monitor all activities and can notify the parents as to any misuse of school property.

Let me rebut a few more items from her posts, (I imagine this must be quite funny to see a verbal skirmish being played out…..I would personally love to see the look on her face Monday when she checks this forum from school)

*and i use the via bus to get to school already so)*
Funny, I never knew that I was a Via bus driver! I just checked my truck and no sign on my truck shows it to be a bus.

*My stepmom has almost complete control over my father and he will do anything that she tells him*
I almost peed myself with laughter on reading that one, I think my wife actually did.

*need to get emanciapted so that i can concentrate on my school work and everything else without constantly having to worry whether my dad and stepmom are going to go through will their threats of saying they are going to throw me out or send me to my drug addict birthmother.*
Hmmm, I guess she has taken the old saying “If you don’t like the boarding house rules….” A little too seriously. As for the second part, as a concerned parent I could not do that, even if we could find her. Though people can change after 15 years I could not take that chance.

Finally, we have shown her the 5 major requirements and she does not meet 2 of the 5. Parental consent and financial responsibility.
She basically demanded her emancipation after we told her she was going to give up that job at the Chinese restaurant once she started lying about her hours so she could spend time with a boy that we thoroughly disapprove of and that relationship is going to be over. Yes, I have met the boy for 10 seconds and in my opinion it was 9 seconds too long.
I have told her, and now I will state it publicly, if she wishes her removal of disabilities she may have it AFTER she has received her diploma either this December or March 2005. As a parent I believe we should not loose her upon the world until she has at least met the minimum educational requirements. After that if she desires it, then she may be free to either wildly succeed or fail on her own. Since she is a high school senior I do believe she should concentrate on her spelling and grammar after reading her posts.

Well, I tried to keep it short. Please feel free to comment guys.

 

[CdwJava]

<Applause>

A parent that is actually parenting! How can we clone you!

God Bless you, Sir!

I especially liked the "9 seconds too long," line!

- Carl

 

[Jymbo]

Parenting

<Applause>

A parent that is actually parenting! How can we clone you!

God Bless you, Sir!

I especially liked the "9 seconds too long," line!

- Carl

*blush* Thank you! She is just annoyed that we continually check up on her and verify EVERYTHING. Unfortunately I was the recipient of the mothers curse. "May you grow up to have a child juuuuuusssttt like you".
As for cloning me, I would recommend against it. I am sure that is one of the signs of a coming Apocalypse, if Nader is elected president and I am cloned I would seriously start thinking about moving to another country. I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year.

Jym

 

[cbg]

In other words, she's a normal teenager?

 

[Jymbo]

Subjective Normality

In other words, she's a normal teenager?

I do not know if I would go that far.

I have no frame of reference for a teen girl. I will give you a couple of "fer instances" she ran away (reported as a runaway) overnight when she was 13 because she was on restriction and could not go Trick or Treating. She creatively told the other parents of the friend she hooked up with that we had changed our telephone and she did not know the new number. And about a year and a half ago, she ran away again for more than 24 hours (also reported) so she could attend a party. She never bothered to ask permission at that time because she already knew our response.Alcohol may have been served, maybe not.
It was not worth our efforts to charge the adults in this with interferring with custody.
Now conversely she can also be sweet, charming etc. I do sometimes wonder if she is a bit manic-depressive or just an overly emotional teen girl.

So normality is a subjective issue I think.
Will we ever be nominated as parents of the year? I sincerely doubt it, but we do the best we can. We are intrusive because we care and have strict standards of conduct.

Jym

 

[stealth2]

The running away stunts could well cost her emancipation anyway - that doesn't exactly show tremendous maturity.

Good job on staying on top of her. And please do come back to let us know her reaction on Monday after realizing you've posted.

 

[ptlmejo]

I figure if we're lucky, we'll all get to READ her reaction.

 

[AHA]

Looks like time for a family meeting. Some major work needs doing to get the face to face communication going in that home, and not let strangers be the middlehand and do all the talking.

Good luck