BellaOnline Forums Family Work & Family Talking with son after visiting Uncle

I didn't know where else to post this, so I'm putting it here.

My 14 yr old son has been at my mom's for a week and he went to work with my brother-in-law. I didn't have any problem with that. My bil's job is stocking, repairing, and collecting the money from novelty machines-the ones that see in the front of stores that your little kids make you nuts for 0.50 for. He has a company vehicle and my son went with him one day and I talked to him later and he said that his Uncle only worked 3 hrs (they left at 6:30 and got home around 5:30) and the rest of the time they goofed off, stopped at 5 different fast food places (bfst, snack, lunch, snack, another snack). Then they were out shopping at various stores. He told my son that he should think of getting into the novelty item buisness that it would be a good future for him. My husband and I have been trying to encourage my son to go to college and be able to get a decent job. My sister has a great paying job and so my bil really doesn't have to have a great paying job.

Yesterday my son went with him again and my bil told him that he had a "secret" machine in this one place that his company didn't know about and he always kept the money from this machine and spent it on whatever he wanted to. I told my son "that is STEALING". My son also said that my bil took a bunch of the quarters and cashed them in and spent that money for whatever and told my son that he just wrote stuff off (merchandise) or said that stuff was defective and wrote it off that way. I plan to have a big talk with him when I pick him up tommorow. I really don't know if I should say something to my sister and mom or not. I had told my mom I didn't appreciate the bil telling my son that what he did was a good job. I hadn't told her about the machine and taking the money. My sister has 2 kids and I am afraid they will limit me seeing them because they would be mad about me saying something to someone about what the bil is doing.

The way I see this is you could either have your son learning this type of behavior from your BIL or you might not have a picture perfect relationship with your sister and her kids.

Telling the truth and being afraid should not be in the same sentence. There is only one logical response here. Also how would you feel if your child was reading a book from the library that stated this practice is acceptable in the work force or if he was learning this from a teacher - it would ne NO way, so just because it is a family member should be no different.

I would cease the relationship between your impresionable son and BIL ASAP. Your son is learning from this experience and watching how you handle this, you need to think of your child first.

You are right...maybe my sis doesn't even know about this. I will have to talk to both of them. Thanks!