Announcements & Deadlines

If you've been following my blog at all lately, then you already know that my husband and I are struggling with our son (Jr) and his girlfriend (Paige) "squatting" here. It's come to our attention, after encouraging Jr on many occassions to get a job, that he is not working because Paige does not want him to work (and that Jr feels this is Paige's way of controlling him).

Well, firstly, we had agreed to let them move in on a temporary basis, until they are able to move out on their own.

Secondly, they are never going to be able to move out on Paige's income alone. And! Jr told us that his savings is dwindling down to nothing again.

Thirdly, Jr does have the option of telling Paige, "I understand that you don't want me to work but I have to, and I'm going to, because that's the only way we can afford our own place."

And finally, to top it off, Paige announced to me yesterday that she is having her (birth control) pin in her arm removed on Monday. And, having previously informed me a couple of months back that they wanted to rush right into having babies, this can only mean one thing - impending pregnancy.

So, let me make it clear - my grandbabies, I will hug and kiss and squeeze and love 'em all over. But it would give me great pride if their PARENTS would make more responsible decisions and maybe allow themselves to become financially independent before rushing into having babies.  I mean, these kids have not even made it through one year without breaking up.  The first year, Jr was in Afghanistan, and even then, they were breaking up so many times it was ridiculous.  Then, we have this year, when Jr left the military and moved home with Paige after she had spent every last penny in his bank account on boobs and B.S. (then, she leaves him again (when there was no more money to spend) and went back to Alaska).

So, Roy and I have been talking for months now about giving the kids a deadline to move out.  Our plan is, Sunday we will sit down with both Paige and Jr and do our own announcing which includes:  (1) beginning January 1st they will be required to pay $300 rent on the 1st of each month, (2) by the last day of March they will be required to move out, and (3) we'll tell them that we do not want their money, but will return their rent money to them IF they move out by the end of March (incentives).  Now, secretly, of course Roy and I will be flexible with them IF they are showing reasonable effort.  We just feel, they need a taste of being on their own, in order to really know whether or not it's really going to work out between them, and to know the struggles young families go through.  Again, getting into that "tough love" stuff.