"the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

I don't know if I get actual pleasure with the I told you so's, or as I sit back and watch both parents do EXACTLY THE SAME thing everytime SD17 gets in trouble. I overheard DH saying last night to his mother "yeah, SS16 is at her mom's house, she needs to be there right now to get her act together".

Inside, I snicker, knowing that NOTHING has changed. BM yells, threatens, then follows up with shopping trips and taking SD17 to the movies. For some reason, both parents still refuse to want to monitor her Facebook or Twitter account, to which you could see exactly how serious she is taking punishment (or lack of). If any parent read it, it would testify that she has turned into an UN-classy, deceitful little girl.

DH gets upset that I say nothing has changed, which I said as we are driving with SS18, after I asked DH - have you heard from SD17 since everything went down? "Yeah, she called the other day because her and BM were worried about SS18 and wanted to know where he was at." SS18 replies: "that's a lie, the only reason she called is because she wants to go to the state fair, and the only way she can go is if I take her". I laughed maniacally...

Boggles my mind a few things - that BM would still think that just a few days at home is going to teach her the lesson of behaviors that have been around for years - when it comes to lying, using our money for pot, getting a tattoo without adult consent, sneaking boys over, and oh, so many things. The fact that the parents are so naive assuming that just by SS18 taking SD17 to a state fair, that it is going to make any difference. SD17 is NOT going to the fair with her brother, if she were to have gone, she would have insisted that he pick up her so-called friends, she would have made plans to meet someone from the internet there (highly likely), would disappear for hours and when SS18 is ready to leave it would take another hour to find her as she will conveniently turn off her phone or claim that the battery died. During that time DH would have gotten calls from SS18 in frustration, and by the time he got in touch with SD17, she would have said all her excuses and he will just basically shrug his shoulders by his lame response and lack of discipline.

I know all her tricks...

Like most teens, she is a tough girl on the internet, posting different things trying to be "cool" to her friends (the ones she has left). We all went through our share of friends in high school, but when I see the ones she started with, and the ones she ended up with, I shudder. She claims "they" were fake friends, talked about her, etc., but since her sneaky behavior has been around for over 4 years, I'm going to take an educated guess that they too figured it out.

The difference in friends between SS18 and SD17 is night and day. SS18's friends are respectful, know their manners. SD17, her friends get in the car rarely is a please or thank you ever uttered. The utter lack of education is also night and day.

Latest posts for SD17 on Twitter are talking of how "weed would be great right now", adding pictures saying "I'm baked", derogatory and sexual things, just everything classy that if it were my daughter, I would have shut DOWN long ago.

DH used to say - until you have a child you'll know how hard it can be to discipline your child, etc. No, it's a matter of backbone... my mom used to repeat to me - I only discipline you because I actually give a shit about you - I want you to turn out right, and what you do IS a reflection of my parenting.

One more year, one more year... not that we will ever be rid of this drama, but at least by the time she's 18 we will have relocated and will be raising our new baby. Living where we do, and so close to it all is just a constant reminder of the stress that I will be so glad to be far away from. The good thing is that she's so stubborn and set on whatever she wants to do, that I know she will continue to live in the current area after graduation (or GED at this rate) - following us to the country is definitely not something she would like nor consider, and I'm just fine with that.