17 year old wants to leave home at 18

[stephwilkes67]

What is the name of your state? Utah

We moved to Utah 6 months ago from Arizona. My 17 year old son says he hates it here and wants to move back. He's doing well here, family life good, but you know at that age friends are everything. He turnes 18 in January and says that he is moving back to AZ when he's 18, although he'll still have 2 semesters of high school left. We told him that he couldn't go. He says we can't say anything about it, once he's a legal adult at 18. Is that true, even though he is still in high school??

 

[Skills101]

What is the name of your state? Utah

We moved to Utah 6 months ago from Arizona. My 17 year old son says he hates it here and wants to move back. He's doing well here, family life good, but you know at that age friends are everything. He turnes 18 in January and says that he is moving back to AZ when he's 18, although he'll still have 2 semesters of high school left. We told him that he couldn't go. He says we can't say anything about it, once he's a legal adult at 18. Is that true, even though he is still in high school??

Yes. Once he is of age, he can drop out of high school without your permission and move back to Arizona. Unwise, but it will be his prerogative. Try to persuade him to at least finish out his education, though.

 

[Wolflmg]

Once he's 18, yes he can leave home without your permission, however that means he is an adult and your no longer responsibly for him. So tell him if he wants to leave then he's on his own. Money and everything, it's tough love, but perhaps that will make him to want to rethink his decision of leaving your home and cutting out of high school.

Good luck, hopefully he'll make the right choice.

 

[stephwilkes67]

He does say that he will finish high school if he goes back. I guess its just as a parent, I want him to stay home while he finishes high school so it's not so hard on him. There's just more of a chance for slacking, or getting into trouble without a parent in the home, while finishing high school. So I have no say-so once he turns 18, for him to stay at home, while he finishes high school for the last semester of his senior year??

 

[djohnson]

No, you have no say once he reaches 18. On a side note though, who is he planning on staying with?

 

[Wolflmg]

Why not see if you can compermize with him, tell him if he stays there and finishes high school, that he could go to college in Arizona. That way you'll know he's not slacking off in his highschool studies.