He's been throwing phrases around like: slave labor and indentured servant---in relation to what his parents have been making him do as a form of punishment.
A couple months ago, Mitchell got a speeding ticket. In North Carolina, it's a serious thing if you are under 21. He lost his license for a period of time. His parents had to hire a lawyer which cost $350. They expected re-payment---as any parents should. But, it's that re-payment that has come in to question. Mitchell thinks it's too harsh. I say, that means the punishment must be a good one! On the other hand, the question becomes---is it fair to make your kid do something you don't want to do? Again, I say "yes!" The very definition of punishment is: "infliction of a penalty as retribution."
You be the judge.
The task Mitchell was given was to take down this mammoth bush. He's standing on top of a 5 ft. wall. The bush still towers over him---and he's at least 6' 2".
He had a hard time figuring out how to begin. The bush was so dense.
He says he worked 6 hours to take it down.
He broke the loppers while doing the job. He had to cut all the branches down to an acceptable size for the trash company to pick up. All had to be hauled to the street.
One more picture of him standing on the wall with the bush removed. His dad plans to rent a chain saw to get rid of the rest. By the time he does that and replaces the loppers, it very well could have been cheaper to hire someone.
We all had a good laugh over this. The bush was so massive---that did seem like an over-the-top punishment. But then, I'm always quick to defend my only grandson! He'll survive!
That's the kind of job you'd have to do in our family without having done anything to be punished for! It's just a chore that needs seeing to and a perfectly fit one for a healthy young man. Harsh? I know what I'd do to my 19 year old if I caught him speeding..
ReplyDeleteAs a parent of young adults, one of whom received a ticket for a rolling stop this Summer (which she had to pay herself), I think he got off easy. $350 for lawyer services... if it took him 6 hours to take down that bush, he was compensated for his work at over $50 per hour. I don't know anyone who would pay that much for a 19 year old laborer doing yard work. I'd say he still owes his parents a bit more on the services front. And I think it is perfectly appropriate to ask him to do something they would have otherwise hired someone to do. After all, they spent their gardening fun on his lawyer bill!
ReplyDeleteOH I'm with Cheri on this one. His unskilled labour should be charged at minimum wage and he should work the right number of hours until he has cleared that debt. Oh and I would be adding the loppers to the bill too..... Good job I'm not his Mom eh? LOL
ReplyDeleteI think he got off easy if he only had to remove one bush! LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm with both Sian in that Ewok has been doing garden labouring as he isn't earning yet. But also with those who suggest minimum wage is what I calculate work like that on. But I wouldn't charge the loppers (unless it was his fault)... This will go down as the summer M killed a bush ;-)
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