Not-so-smart teenagers

[Anonymous]

Just found out my 14 year old has been carrying around $500 worth of birthday money in his backpack for the past week. So proud of this child I've raised anyone else have teens who do stupid stuff like this...not necessarily harmful but just not smart? Story time!

[Anonymous]

Mine was carrying around 180 dollars. He is 14.

[Anonymous]

I was behind a young woman (not a teen, but close) who pulled a wad of cash out of her purse at the post office and proceeded to buy two money orders for $800 and $500. And she didn't use the entire wad of cash.

I can't imagine carrying money like that around.

[Anonymous]

Rich people problems?

[Anonymous]

As a parent, why would you allow him that much cash. We put that in the college fund.

[Anonymous]

On the "clueless about money" theme:

- their faces the first time they had to file taxes on earnings from a summer job looked like someone had just killed their favorite bunny... talk about a reality check.

And departing from the topic of money here's a few other less-than-brilliant moment from my teens:

- put a suit in the washing machine followed by the dryer (it was a dry clean only suit)

- got a wire hanger stuck in the sink trying to unclog the drain

- burned the crap out of some cookies they were baking because they didn't realize they would firm up once they were out of the oven and thought that they hadn't baked long enough

- (we weren't living in this area at the time of this one) ended up making themselves and several friends late for school trying to get someone's car out of a ditch after their friend's girlfriend had wrecked it -- instead of telling the girl to fess up to her parents and use their AAA to get the car unstuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On the "clueless about money" theme:

- their faces the first time they had to file taxes on earnings from a summer job looked like someone had just killed their favorite bunny... talk about a reality check.

And departing from the topic of money here's a few other less-than-brilliant moment from my teens:

- put a suit in the washing machine followed by the dryer (it was a dry clean only suit)

- got a wire hanger stuck in the sink trying to unclog the drain

- burned the crap out of some cookies they were baking because they didn't realize they would firm up once they were out of the oven and thought that they hadn't baked long enough

- (we weren't living in this area at the time of this one) ended up making themselves and several friends late for school trying to get someone's car out of a ditch after their friend's girlfriend had wrecked it -- instead of telling the girl to fess up to her parents and use their AAA to get the car unstuck.

Aren't your kids under your taxes as dependents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the "clueless about money" theme:

- their faces the first time they had to file taxes on earnings from a summer job looked like someone had just killed their favorite bunny... talk about a reality check.

And departing from the topic of money here's a few other less-than-brilliant moment from my teens:

- put a suit in the washing machine followed by the dryer (it was a dry clean only suit)

- got a wire hanger stuck in the sink trying to unclog the drain

- burned the crap out of some cookies they were baking because they didn't realize they would firm up once they were out of the oven and thought that they hadn't baked long enough

- (we weren't living in this area at the time of this one) ended up making themselves and several friends late for school trying to get someone's car out of a ditch after their friend's girlfriend had wrecked it -- instead of telling the girl to fess up to her parents and use their AAA to get the car unstuck.

Aren't your kids under your taxes as dependents?

Not pp but mine are dependents but we filed taxes separately for years because of investment income. And once they have summer earnings of course they have to file their own taxes.

My a DC had that aha moment with her first paycheck with all the deductions for SS, taxes, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On the "clueless about money" theme:

- their faces the first time they had to file taxes on earnings from a summer job looked like someone had just killed their favorite bunny... talk about a reality check.

And departing from the topic of money here's a few other less-than-brilliant moment from my teens:

- put a suit in the washing machine followed by the dryer (it was a dry clean only suit)

- got a wire hanger stuck in the sink trying to unclog the drain

- burned the crap out of some cookies they were baking because they didn't realize they would firm up once they were out of the oven and thought that they hadn't baked long enough

- (we weren't living in this area at the time of this one) ended up making themselves and several friends late for school trying to get someone's car out of a ditch after their friend's girlfriend had wrecked it -- instead of telling the girl to fess up to her parents and use their AAA to get the car unstuck.

Aren't your kids under your taxes as dependents?

Yes, but they still had to file their own. DH handles our taxes and would be able to give a better explanation but my understanding is that since work deducted taxes from each of their paychecks they still had to file the form even though they did not earn enough to be self supporting and were still our dependents. They didn't actually have to pay taxes at the end of the year and ended up with a refund, but seeing the amount come out of each paycheck and having DH walk them through filling out the forms was an interesting and unpopular experience for them.

[Anonymous]

"Who the hell is Fica and why is she getting a cut from my check??"

[Anonymous]

+1 on the shock of getting a first paycheck and seeing how much was taken our for taxes!

Also, putting all of her clothes into one load of laundry, unsorted, on hot...

[Anonymous]

When I was a teenager, you still made popcorn on the stove with oil in a pan. What I didn't know is that you are not supposed to turn the stove to "Hi". The oil started smoking and the fire quickly started. I did the logical thing--yelled for mom to come quickly.

Mom put out the fire. But she also had laryngitis at the top. I could see her yelling at me but there was no sound coming out.

[Anonymous]

My DS hasn't been able to find is wallet with 300$ of B-Day money in it for months. He's not to concerned because "It's in my room some where".

One would think this would motivate him to clean his room…Teens! !

[Anonymous]

High school teacher here. The kids carry around shocking wads of cash. Now at least I know that their parents don't think it's a great idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:High school teacher here. The kids carry around shocking wads of cash. Now at least I know that their parents don't think it's a great idea!

Middle school teacher. I see it after the b'nai mitzvahs.