I haven't read the whole thread, and probably won't be able to catch up at this point because I'm sneaking in a work break, and its already 4 pages long.... as a parent of 3 teens, we expect a lot of our kids. We help them with projcts and expect them to come to us if they are having a problem in a class - ANY problem, the teacher isn't explaining things properly, another classmate is distracting you or the teacher, not understanding the work, etc. We need them to come to us. If they don't and they bring home a C, then they are grounded til their grades go back up. We have one teacher that has it out for our kids. Did with my son, then my daugher, and now my youngest daughter. We've talked to the school, the teacher, the superintendant and all to no avail. We understand that bad grade on their report card.

Anyway, the kids all know that they are expected a certain GPA. If they do not get that GPA, they do not drive. Simple. We feel if they are not mature enough to come to us or a teacher for help in their studies they are not mature enough to drive.

My son is dyslexic. He has an "excuse" for bad grades. He also happens to be LAZY regarding school and studying. He always got Cs and no hgher than a 2.5 GPA each report card. He didn't care... until this year when he's 18. Not driving, and can't get into college. All of the sudden, he cares about his classes and has a 3.7 GPA every semester so far this year. He says "Gee getting As is a lot easier than I thought." Go figure, amazing what happens when he actually did his homework and paid attention in class.

As for stepparent... I am a step mom. My kids all live with us fulltime and their mom can't even call or send a birthday card for any of the kids. Nice, huh? Those kids are MY kids, even if they are not biologically related to me. The more the kids try to say "you're not my mom" the worse things will get, and the more she'll pull a power shift on you with your dad. BAD attitude for you to take with her. She IS your step mom and DOES have a say in how you are raised, and how to punish you when you do something wrong. Sorry. Learn to live with it and learn to like her, or life will get harder. My kids each tried it once. When they said "you're not my mom" I replied with a laugh and said "And you're darned lucky I'm not." And they are. I do what I can to give them a good foundation. Sometimes they swear I'm evil and out to get them.. its because I care so much that I seem so strict.