My 16-Year-Old Son Went to Stay with His
Grandmother for the Summer – One Day, I Got a Call from Her
When my 16-year-old son offered to care for his disabled grandmother over the summer, I hoped he’d matured. Then she called, terrified, whispering, “Save me from him!” The line went dead. My rebellious son had seemed eager to help, saying he’d “keep an eye on her” and save caregiver costs.
But as I raced to her rural home, I found chaos—strangers partying, beer bottles everywhere, and her lawn trashed. She was locked in her room, pale and exhausted, saying he’d turned angry and confined her when she objected to his “friends.” Furious, I confronted him at the party.
He shrugged it off as “just fun,” but I cleared the house and sent him to a strict summer camp, selling his electronics to fix the damage. Over time, he changed—returning quieter, respectful, and later apologizing to her with flowers before college. It took years, but our family began to heal.