On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:22:27 EST, wrote:

We have a senior boy and freshman girl. Our girl must get to school
early (a whole 20 min) to drop off her instrument before her first
class. School starts at 7:40 am and we like to leave at 7:15 - 7:20
am. We have had to leave without him four times to get our daughter to
school on time. He refuses to go into his first hour class late and
misses first hour. Very frustrating that he cannot get up to leave on
time - he gets up at 7:45 and takes long shower. We excused a few of
these absences. The school does nothing accept lower his grade. He
has lost what few privileges he has at home. His response is that we
should buy him a car so that he can drive separately. We live in an
affluent are where most kids have cars.

Should we pick our battles and excuse these and drive him separately?

We are worried that he will never succeed of anything.

Some things aren't clear from your story, at least to me.

Have you always taken responsibility for driving him to school?

What alternatives does he have for getting to school? Is there a city
bus? A school bus? A bicycle? Friends with cars?

Is there a different school that he could get to on his own?

How does he get around to his activities, part-time job, and friends'
houses?

What are his reasons for going to school? What would happen if he
didn't? Does he have any ideas of what he'd like to do after he
finishes school?

I think you need to let him solve this for himself. I don't think he
will succeed until he has the chance to fail.

Unless there's a chance he's depressed or otherwise needs some
psychological intervention.

And if there are ways that you can gradually remove yourself from
taking responsibility for his younger sister's transportation to
school, I think you should start planning for that as well.

Best of luck,

Louise