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Truancy

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Betty50

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina. My 15 year old son was voluntarily transferred to a special high school for students having problems in their old school. He quickly decided he hated it when he was finally able to attend after almost 2 weeks of not being able to ride his school bus which was not showing up or not at the same bus stop he was supposed to be at. When he was settled in at the new school, he began doing everything in his power to not attend. He would hide until after I went to work, turn off my alarm clock, etc. We received a home visit from the attendance officer and I attended a conference at his school with the assistant principal, guidance councelor and attendance officer. At this time, truancy papers were filed against me. This was the last day before Christmas break. Since that time he has attended school every day as far as I know but has been late 3 days because he missed the school bus and had to take a city bus to school. I do not drive so am unable to take him to school myself. I am terrified that I will be arrested and have been threatened with this several times. I have done everything in my power to get him to school but cannot control him and have told this to the people at the school.
 


Antigone*

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina. My 15 year old son was voluntarily transferred to a special high school for students having problems in their old school. He quickly decided he hated it when he was finally able to attend after almost 2 weeks of not being able to ride his school bus which was not showing up or not at the same bus stop he was supposed to be at. When he was settled in at the new school, he began doing everything in his power to not attend. He would hide until after I went to work, turn off my alarm clock, etc. We received a home visit from the attendance officer and I attended a conference at his school with the assistant principal, guidance councelor and attendance officer. At this time, truancy papers were filed against me. This was the last day before Christmas break. Since that time he has attended school every day as far as I know but has been late 3 days because he missed the school bus and had to take a city bus to school. I do not drive so am unable to take him to school myself. I am terrified that I will be arrested and have been threatened with this several times. I have done everything in my power to get him to school but cannot control him and have told this to the people at the school.
Well, if you are not mom enough to control your child, be ready to face the consequences.
 

mistoffolees

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina. My 15 year old son was voluntarily transferred to a special high school for students having problems in their old school. He quickly decided he hated it when he was finally able to attend after almost 2 weeks of not being able to ride his school bus which was not showing up or not at the same bus stop he was supposed to be at. When he was settled in at the new school, he began doing everything in his power to not attend. He would hide until after I went to work, turn off my alarm clock, etc. We received a home visit from the attendance officer and I attended a conference at his school with the assistant principal, guidance councelor and attendance officer. At this time, truancy papers were filed against me. This was the last day before Christmas break. Since that time he has attended school every day as far as I know but has been late 3 days because he missed the school bus and had to take a city bus to school. I do not drive so am unable to take him to school myself. I am terrified that I will be arrested and have been threatened with this several times. I have done everything in my power to get him to school but cannot control him and have told this to the people at the school.
Sorry, but being unable to control your child is not an excuse. You're the parent, he's the child.

If he continues down that path, you could end up with severe problems on your end - and he could end up going to an even less desirable place. (Not to mention, of course, the greater penalty which is that he will spend his life working for minimum wage at some crappy job if he doesn't get at least the basics of an education).

Where is Dad? Perhaps you should consider a change of custody.

If that's not reasonable or practical, I would suggest that you start taking charge.
- Remove ALL the fun stuff from the kid's life. No computer, no iPod, no video games, nothing. Give him one change of clothes and leave it to him to wash them every night. He can earn stuff back by shaping up, getting to school on time, and getting decent grades.
- If he's saying that the problem is his alarm clock, wake him up in the morning. With a bucket of ice water if necessary.
- Walk him to the bus stop. Tell him that you will continue to do so until he demonstrates that he can get there by himself.
- No going out at night, no friends coming over. Just you, him, and the 4 walls.
- And so on.
 

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