College Course

Force him to take the class. You pulled the strings for him, you bought him the welder, and he is already committed. He needs to follow through with his commitment.

Also, welding is a very useful and practical skill to have. I knew someone whose brother graduated high school and got work as a welder to earn money before he started college; it made a lot more money than working at a retail place like most teenagers do. I think you should definitely make him take the class.

.

I'll answer as a college professor. It really, really bugs me when someone pulls strings to get in a class and then flakes out. If a parent pulled strings and then the student flaked out it would bug me even more. Don't let him burn this bridge for you or himself--tell him to take the class.

If you pulled strings and purchased equipment for the course, then he needs to take it. This is about him sticking to a commitment and not wasting your money and connections.

Doesn't matter if he has a 4.2 or a 2.4 GPA.

He will have lots of summer left to enjoy after the class is over.

God Bless

You asked special favors to get him in. He takes it. PERIOD!! It's only three weeks, he can enjoy the rest of his summer, which will be too long anyway and by August he'll be whining that he is bored.
And if he wants to go to a high end competitive college, Duke maybe, he better do something momentous this summer, college courses qualify.
My daughter is looking at what she can do this summer too.

Put your foot down this time

Now's a great opportunity to teach your son about commitment and responsiblity. You paid for the class and the equipment, time for him to take the class, or get a job to pay you back, and not a do work around the house job, a job that involves a paycheck and taxes.

Are you saying the class only lasts for 3 weeks? If it were my son, I'd simply tell him he's taking the class. It's not a big time commitment and life is easier when we get in the habit of "just doing it". Besides, he may be sick and tired of school now, but once regular school is over and he's in this one night class he may find he can still enjoy summer during the day and class at night.

He said he wanted to do it, and you spent your hard-earned money buying him a welder. He needs to follow through.

He told you he wanted to take those classes.
You bought him the welder.
He is now being a flake.

I would MAKE him attend those classes.
Didn't you sign up already AND his Teacher got him into the class, as a favor?
He has to suck it up, and do it and go to it.
Too bad.

HE does NOT have a choice, in this.

Tell him is he does not do this, he pays you back for the welder, and gets a Summer JOB.
NO staying home doing nothing.
His option are, going to this class, or getting a summer job of some kind.
And if he can't find one on his own, you will. Even if that means being a mail room person in an office, paid or not. He can do it as a "volunteer.' Or he can mow people's lawns. All summer.

*It doesn't matter what his GPA is.
He SAID he wanted to take it. You got him the welder. It is ONLY for 3 weeks. He is flaking out.
HE has to learn, commitment.
AND his Teacher, did you ALL a FAVOR, and got him into the class. Who knows how hard that was for the Teacher to do, pulling her/his strings and then another kid not getting into the class.
So, thus, if that were my kid, I would make my kid take it, go to class, and too bad.
This is life.
Or, you have your kid, go to the Teacher, with his head hanging down and APOLOGIZE for wasting his Teacher's time and efforts, by doing him a FAVOR and getting him into a class, which he is now flaking out on.
HOW RUDE, of him.

His Teacher BELIEVED in him enough (and you), to pull strings and do him a FAVOR and getting him into that class.
Nuff' said.

I ditto Lesley B. below. She took the words right out of my mouth. Your son shouldn't have let you go so far to get him in and then back out at the last minute. He may even enjoy it and be glad he took it.

Sounds like a great opportunity to teach responsibility and commitment. Easy for me to say, hard for you to do.

At the very least id make him 'pay' for the welder. Can you return it?

AND if you decide to let him not take the classes, you should somehow make him contact the school/teacher you know and tell them he isn't coming.

Good luck!

I may have a different take on since I have been through this with my now 21 year old daughter. In her freshman year, she HAD TO BE A CHEERLEADER. thats all she wanted to do. Ofcourse we supporter her and paid alot of money. After about 3 months she was over it. Didnt want to particpate in practice, didnt like the coach ect... than she wanted to try other things. Now looking back we should have enforced the important on following through. She/we made a commitment and she needs to follow through until the end. After its all said and done move to something else. But people rely on you and other miss out because the spot was taken and they could have had a great opportunity. She failed the class which made us even more upset. So not only have you invested money, you invested time to pulls strings and the teacher came through. In the long run it will teach him responsiblity and maybe how to weld (heehee)