Reason # 2,647 to LOVE your teenager!

DS #1 (soon to be 16) apparently decided he wanted to start texting even though we told him no. We have him on a $10 a month add on to our cell plan, but don't think he needs to be texting, etc. He's had the phone for almost a year now. This is where it gets interesting...

Last month there was $68 in texting on our bill....

We're peeved, but calm and tell him that the first $70 of lawn mowing money earned is ours....he has moved three lawns so far this season so his debt is down to $10!

Yup...well, today DH got this month's bill and while he did stop the day we told him to, another billing cycle had started (yes, we, the smart parents hadn't thought of that) and so on this month's bill....

$150 of texting.....

I . love . my . life .

So...we're not yelling at him or anything, but we did disable texting, which disables ring tone and he is soooo bummed about not having the "COOL" ringtones!

But, um...yeah....

HELLO!?!?! $220 in texting bills!!! YIKES!

He will be mowing lawns most of the summer....and instead of putting it in his savings account or spending it, he will hand it over to me to pay back his debt.

The sad thing is, he was going to get Timberland boots next week. He has been waiting and waiting to get them (they lower the price way down in the Spring) and I had told him we would look at it again when we were at the Spinal Rehab next week. We often visit a mall on our down time...I planned to buy them. He has been so patient and really respectful of our decision to wait until spring for the lower prices...

Yeah, well.....Mama thinks maybe NOT!

However, I might get them for his birthday....which is in June.

But you'd be proud, we didn't yell or flip or anything. We spoke calmly to him both times and discussed what happened, the choices he made, the disrespect of our authority, the consequences of his actions, etc. Frankly I am surprised by our calmness...

Should I worry?