WWYD? Teens and 'surprise' painting

[Tap]

UPDATE IN POST 30

 

Ds16 told me he was going to help a 19yo friend of his clean his parent's house and do some painting 'downstairs' as a surprise for his parents while they were gone for the weekend. I didn't think much of it and dropped ds off today at 8:30am on my way to work. I dropped of some pizzas at 6:30pm on my way home. I took the pizzas in and was Very surprised to see the project was Much, much more than I thought. I was expecting a fresh coat of paint on a bonus room or such. They (4 teen boys) had painted the living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, staircase, and upper hallway. 3 of the boys had worked on it for 2 days. The son of the parents had also worked really hard to clean the house and did a bunch of laundry, etc.

 

When I dropped of the pizza, I felt they were a bit behind schedule, the parents were returning at 10pm, but didn't say anything. I called ds16 after I left and offered to come back and at least help clean. I figured the kid who lived there may feel more comfortable being honest to my son, instead of me, if he didn't want me there. You know, 4 teen boys, and a mom.... They took me up on the help and I went back. I cleaned for 3 hours straight. Dusting, washing down kitchen cabinets, washing doors etc. The things that really stand out when you paint. I cleaned up paint EVERYwhere. On dishes, on counters, on furniture, on picture frames...

 

The problem lies here.... They painted like teenage boys would. He chose very dark, very beautiful colors. Chocolate brown, burgundy, forest green, caarmel, dark cream, a dark mossy green/brown. They painted all these dark colors with one coat over the original white. Yep, from stark white to chocolate brown and burgundy in one coat. They didn't mask off. They got dark paint on the white trim, and they didn't paint the trim. They got dark paint on the ceiling and hand cut it all with a fat brush (not skilled work) and not an edging tool. They kind of cut in but not really. They left a 3-6inch stripe of unpainted area at the top of the staircase (2 story) where they couldn't reach. The ceiling needs to be painted now too.

 

These aren't parents who are very detail oriented. They give vast amount of their time to very worthy programs and aren't home much. They are a very strong and loving family. I am sure they will really appreciate what he and they did for them. I asked him if his parents picked the colors and he said "nope I did. But, they will like them". LOL

 

But, there is now a huge amount of touch up that is very obvious because of the dark colors. Honestly everything needs a second or third coat of paint.

 

I wish I would have known what the details were and I could have given him some advice and tools to do the job right. I wish I would have asked more questions, but I didn't really thing someone would start such a project without a bit of experience.

 

When we left at 10:30 tonight the parents were due anytime. The house was put back together including pictures hung on the walls. He even lit candles so it was very cozy for them. They were driving back today from a trip to California. I think they were 10-12 hours away from home and drove back today. I can't imagine coming home to this.

 

 

I have told the son that I will personally pay for new white trim paint, and a quart of each other color to do some major touch up required (5 colors) as he ran out of most paint colors. I will also volunteer to come back and help with the touch up required. All he has to do is tell me when.

 

 

Beyond that, WWYD? I guess since my son was part of the paining, that I knew of the plan (but not really the extent of it) I feel a bit more involved that I should be. I really don't mind donating the money or time to this family, they have been very, very kind to us in the past. But, I don't want to overstep my bounds either.

 

 

WWYD? I have made the offer to the teen, should I make the same offer to the parents or just stay out of it? I know they don't have the money to pay for it to be fixed, nor do I expect they have an extra $100 or the skills to just buy the paint to fix it themselves. It will be a $100 for just basic touch up and trim paint....it really needs about $200 of paint to provide a second coat and ceiling paint to everything. FYI...they painted over 1000sqft. LOL

Edited November 29, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Hedgehog]

I think it's great that these young people had the initiative to do something like this, and very kind of you to take them pizza, help clean up, and offer to help out with finishing the painting. I think you've done what you can; it's his (their) home and if he chooses not to take you up on your offer then that's his decision, but you made the offer, which was (IMO) the right thing to do.

[Pippen]

You are a very kind friend.

 

Since this was a surprise, I think I'd just sit back and see what happens next. If those were my boys, they'd be priming then painting it a light color again next weekend. ;)

Edited November 28, 2010 by Pippen

[NanceXToo]

I think you've done much more than you 'needed' to do. It's between him and his parents now! Hopefully his family reacts better than I would if that were my house lol.

[Jennifer in MI]

Wow! Sounds like you're doing the right thing. But, I'm going to be watching this thread for an update!! I want to know how they reacted!

[LizzyBee]

Wow! Sounds like you're doing the right thing. But, I'm going to be watching this thread for an update!! I want to know how they reacted!

 

:lurk5: Me too!

[grace'smom]

:lurk5:

:lurk5: Me too!

 

:lurk5:Me three.

[Greta Lea]

If these were my boys and their friends doing this as a surprise for us when they could have just bummed around on a parent-free weekend eating pizza and playing video games, I'd be in tears...joyful tears!

[elegantlion]

My dh is a perfectionist for painting, it's part of his job. I swear he can spot a drop of wall paint on trim from across the room. We've been married 18 years and he still won't let me do the cut in work when we paint.

 

However, if our son had taken the initiative to paint that much as a surprise he would be thrilled. Remember when they were little and would hand you a painting of all these colors mixed together? You'd hang it on the fridge like it was a masterpiece and thank them and oh and ah over it.

 

It's like this, IMO, only on a larger scale. It's the act itself, not how it turned out. Now I'm sure my dh would be having him touch up, finish up, clean up the paint job a little, but together and not as punishment, but as training. Even if the colors weren't my favorite we'd live with it for a couple of years.

 

I think your offer was fair though.

[springmama]

Mistakes or not, I would be absolutely thrilled if my teen cared about me enough to do something like that! He lit a candle and cleaned? Wow!

[Whereneverever]

Mistakes or not, I would be absolutely thrilled if my teen cared about me enough to do something like that! He lit a candle and cleaned? Wow!

:iagree:

[Nakia]

What sweet boys!!! I bet his parents will be thrilled. I would try my best to be, lol. I am a little "type a" when it comes to painting, so it would probably annoy me until it was fixed up. I think your offer is really sweet!!

Edited November 28, 2010 by Nakia

[zimom]

Honestly, I also read this as what sweet boys! I hope his parents also interpret the intent and maybe not the quality :) So maybe it looks like 10 year olds did the work, with colors picked out by someone a little designed challenged (like me!). But I just read love, love, love through the story.

 

If anything, I would maybe just contact the mom in a few days, and in a lighthearted manner mention that you saw the boys work after the fact, how sweet you thought it was, even though it wasn't executed to a professional standard, and ask if they would like any help putting on a second coat since dark colors tend to need that. Details can be fixed at that time. Of course, offer hubby's help too if possible and offer to bring a few cans of paint for a painting party.

[Murphy101]

If the parents aren't detailed oriented, they might not see anything that you saw.

 

And I would love those colors even if they didn't match a thing. I love jewels colors but rarelynhave the guts or cash to try them out.

 

Let it be. Listen to hear how it went over. If you hear that the mom is spending the weekend on repairing things, maybe you could go over and help her out and then go have some coffee somewhere. I know I'd sure want to make friends with a woman who raised such kind boys.

 

But sure, being willing to help financially would be mighty nice too. I wouldn't speak to the parents tho, just make a quiet offering to the teens doing the work.

[Impish]

Mistakes or not, I would be absolutely thrilled if my teen cared about me enough to do something like that! He lit a candle and cleaned? Wow!

I think its just awesome.

[Danestress]

Honestly, if I wanted my house to be dark, rich colors, it would already be dark, rich colors.

 

I would try to be nice and act thrilled, because what really sweet boys to put so much work into it. But I feel very sorry for the parents and the position that this puts them in. They have to spend hundreds of dollars to have things corrected so that the house can look a way that they may absolutely hate, or they have to figure out a way to repaint in a color scheme they like without hurting their sons' feelings.

 

Ugh.

 

If it were my friends, I would want to call ahead on a cell phone and give them heads up so that they could put on their "happy faces" ahead of time and steel themselves to act thrilled.

[Miss Sherry]

I hope the parents are the owners of the home because if not, the owners will most likely charge them to have the damage fixed by charging them to have it redone by professional painters. My guess is it will cost at least a couple of thousand dollars or more to fix. I highly doubt the owners, unless the parents own the home, will find having a lot of different colors in different rooms to be acceptable. Everything will have to be brought up to professional standard if this home is owned by someone other than the parents. If the parents need to sell the home it will have to be brought up to professional standard.

Keep in mind that if professional painters did this kind of damage all of it would have to be corrected. Anything in the home damaged would have to be accounted for. If they got paint on furniture that was not removed the painters would be replacing the furniture. If paint did not come off of the dishes the dishes would be replaced. Any and everything would need to be replaced.

 

This was a misguided thing to do. :001_huh:

 

 

 

Yes, the boys wanted to give a gift to their parents. However, there is a very real monetary cost to causing damage to property. At some point, someone will be paying for that cost.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Miss Sherry

[bookfiend]

please write back and tell us how the paint job was received.

[Murphy101]

please write back and tell us how the paint job was received.

 

:iagree:

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Mistakes or not, I would be absolutely thrilled if my teen cared about me enough to do something like that! He lit a candle and cleaned? Wow!

 

My kids once cleaned my bedroom when I was sick and dh was underway. I felt snuggled for days.

[Miss Sherry]

 

I have told the son that I will personally pay for new white trim paint, and a quart of each other color to do some major touch up required (5 colors) as he ran out of most paint colors. I will also volunteer to come back and help with the touch up required. All he has to do is tell me when.

 

 

Beyond that, WWYD? I guess since my son was part of the paining, that I knew of the plan (but not really the extent of it) I feel a bit more involved that I should be. I really don't mind donating the money or time to this family, they have been very, very kind to us in the past. But, I don't want to overstep my bounds either.

 

 

WWYD? I have made the offer to the teen, should I make the same offer to the parents or just stay out of it? I know they don't have the money to pay for it to be fixed, nor do I expect they have an extra $100 or the skills to just buy the paint to fix it themselves. It will be a $100 for just basic touch up and trim paint....it really needs about $200 of paint to provide a second coat and ceiling paint to everything. FYI...they painted over 1000sqft. LOL

Why are you offering to pay for any of it ? Do you feel responsible because you "let" your son be involved ? Actually, the damage to the property was many more times in value than $200 in paint. My guess is the damage was in the thousands. Hopefully these people will not want to hold your son or you legally responsible for coming into the house and doing damage to it. I believe they could legally.

The owner of this home are not only owed paint. They are owed a professional paint job to repair all of the damage that has been done. They are also owed having every item that was damaged in the process to be repaired or replaced.

I think it was a huge error in judgment to participate in this because for one thing no one is supposed to be altering another person's property without the consent of the property owner. There is good reason for this. This type of project can cause thousands in damage. No professional contractor will touch any job without a written contract from the property owner.

 

If teenagers want to do something kind for their parents it needs to be something that does not involve altering their property in any way because there is monetary liability that goes along with that.

 

I hope this does not cause your family any hardship.

[Murphy101]

While danestress and miss sherry could be right that the parents are not only going to be horrified, but financially up creek because of this, tho the only one that would "owe" them would be their own teen, we have so far heard nothing from the OP to cause us to presume we know the parents better than their teen.

 

It could turn out just fine. The parents might not give a flip or even notice any of the things the OP, I, or others might be really upset over. LOTS of people just don't care about that stuff. Bless their hearts they live a much less stressful life than I do. :)

[Melissa in Australia]

If it were my friends, I would want to call ahead on a cell phone and give them heads up so that they could put on their "happy faces" ahead of time and steel themselves to act thrilled.

 

Would you really do this?? steal someones joy of giving??

[Miss Sherry]

While danestress and miss sherry could be right that the parents are not only going to be horrified, but financially up creek because of this, tho the only one that would "owe" them would be their own teen, we have so far heard nothing from the OP to cause us to presume we know the parents better than their teen.

 

It could turn out just fine. The parents might not give a flip or even notice any of the things the OP, I, or others might be really upset over. LOTS of people just don't care about that stuff. Bless their hearts they live a much less stressful life than I do. :)

Hopefully nothing will come of this. However, legally, I believe they very well could require payment from the other teen who participated in altering their property. It is illegal to alter someone's property without their consent. They not only painted the interior of the house without permission but in the process, as the OP described, they damaged items in the house such as furniture and dishes.

I didn't say I "knew" the parents.

However, I am saying this is a situation that could very well lead to some monetary consequences.

 

It's wonderful when teens want to do something helpful for their parents. It's not wonderful when they damage property in the process. Someone is responsible whenever property is damaged.

 

I think teens should know NOT to participate in activities that involve altering property that they do not own. They need to understand that we are responsible for the consequences of our actions. Not just our intentions. If our actions cause damage the damage has to be repaired in a way that is satisfactory to the property owner, not just satisfactory to the person who damaged the property.

Nothing may come of this. But if the parents are renters and not owners they will not have a choice regarding whether or not to repair the damage on a professional level.

[Miss Sherry]

While danestress and miss sherry could be right that the parents are not only going to be horrified, but financially up creek because of this, tho the only one that would "owe" them would be their own teen, we have so far heard nothing from the OP to cause us to presume we know the parents better than their teen.

 

It could turn out just fine. The parents might not give a flip or even notice any of the things the OP, I, or others might be really upset over. LOTS of people just don't care about that stuff. Bless their hearts they live a much less stressful life than I do. :)

Martha said "...tho the only one that would "owe" them would be their own teen ..."

Did I miss something ? Did the OP's teen have permission from the property owner - whether that is the parents of the home painted or if they rent the owner's they rent from - to go into their home and paint it ? I was under the impression that the OP's teen was in the house without the consent of the owners and participated in painting and damaging property in the process, all without their knowledge or consent.

[Miss Sherry]

:bigear: Is there going to be an update telling us how the parents reacted when they came home to the paint job ? :bigear:

[Denisemomof4]

wow. How did I miss this?

 

I was very nervous as I read this. I thought, "Gee, what SWEET, SWEET boys!!!" but at the same time, I was nervous at what the parents would think.

 

You were BEYOND kind and generous. Really! You were SO sweet!

 

I hope the boy's work was appreciated. What sweet, sweet teens!!!

 

I look forward to hearing how everything panned out.:bigear:

[Margo out of lurking]

These aren't parents who are very detail oriented. They give vast amount of their time to very worthy programs and aren't home much. They are a very strong and loving family. I am sure they will really appreciate what he and they did for them. I asked him if his parents picked the colors and he said "nope I did. But, they will like them". LOL

 

...

 

But, I don't want to overstep my bounds either.

 

 

 

I think to do anything further at this point would be insulting and overstepping your bounds. Based on what you wrote, the parents are not detail or material-oriented. Their son is an adult who can be trusted to know them and know how to appropriately surprise them.

 

A major interior repainting may not be an ideal gift for many of us here on the boards, me included. But too bad for us, we're missing out on more important things in life, don't you think? (To be clear: I would be mortified; unfortunately, I place too much value on "things.")

 

To even comment about helping further is to criticize a gift that's been given to and from someone else and doesn't concern you (even if your ds helped, or you were vaguely--or well-aware).

 

IF the parents express dismay, then it might be appropriate to offer. IF . . . might.

 

I really think it was a lovely thing to do, and I wish I could be half as appreciative as it sounds like your ds's friend's parents will be.

 

:)

[Ginevra]

This was a misguided thing to do.

 

This was a misguided thing to type.

[Tap]

UPDATE:

 

DS got home from church and gave me a pretty simple update. The parents weren't in church today, but the son was. He said they loved it.

 

I will talk to the parents in person on Wednesday and see if I can get a vibe on how they really feel. LOL I will offer my services softly and just let them contact me if they would like to take me up on it.

 

 

I do understand the legalities of what they did and the somber advice here rings true for most people. They do own their home, so there is no problem there. The cost to repaint would be expensive but not too bad because it was all contractors white before and could be again. No matter what, it needed to be painted, 9 years, pets and kids....it needed a layer of paint. If there was a cost to repaint it, it would just be in the lost paint already and 2-3 coats of a quality white. I could shoot it my self in two days (the beauty of shooting one color LOL). The cost would be labor and we could avoid that. Nothing was broken and my son went over the floor on his hands and knees to make sure no paint remained on the floor. I cleaned the kitchen and the sink used to wash the brushes, so I know that was taken care of. All the painting was done when I left last night so it was all in good shape.

 

I am certain the son wouldn't have done something that he thought his parents would object to. Yes, boys don't always think things through, but honestly I know these parents and I do think he is right, they won't mind. I would :) they won't.

 

I do think it was such an incredibly heartfelt gift from these boys. This was a lot of long days and hard work. They didn't get started and decide it was too much work, they just pushed through and got it done. Incidentally 3 of the 4 were homeschooled :), maybe that is the stick-to-it-even-if-it-is-hard personality trait at work. Another homeschooler trait.....the son, looked up instructions on u-tube on how to patch a hole in a wall, bought the supplies and fixed it too. He did a great job on that. He also took a needle and thread and stitched up a hole in the couch. All of this from a kid who struggled in homeschool high school, but is now turning into an incredible adult and doing great in Bible College. He plans to be a missionary and/or a pastor. :) I think he definitely has the heart for it.

 

The reason I am offering to help financially (and with free labor) is that while the boys heart was in the right place, I don't think they realize how the flaws stand out so much more due to the dark colors. They ran out of paint and I know this teen nor the parents have the money to buy more. This family has been a huge blessing to MANY, MANY people. At one point they even adopted another teenage boy, homeschooled him and loved him despite his many traits that others would have been overwhelmed by. They are truly the most unassuming and loving people I know. I think that this is what they will see in this project. LOVE.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Tap, tap, tap

[Renthead Mommy]

Martha said "...tho the only one that would "owe" them would be their own teen ..."

Did I miss something ? Did the OP's teen have permission from the property owner - whether that is the parents of the home painted or if they rent the owner's they rent from - to go into their home and paint it ? I was under the impression that the OP's teen was in the house without the consent of the owners and participated in painting and damaging property in the process, all without their knowledge or consent.

 

The OP's 16yo was asked by the 19yo ADULT son of the home owners to help. He didn't go in and decide "Hey I think WE should paint YOUR parents' house." So yes, the only one that would 'owe' them would be their own teen. If you want to look at it so technically, the 19yo basically contracted out extra labor. Even if all he was 'paying' him was soda or lunch.

[Mommyfaithe]

All I can say is WOW!!! I think those are some of the most thoughtful loving boys I have heard about in a looong time. I would be thrilled if my children tried to do something like that for me! You are a very kind neighbor and friend...and I think those boys are growing up to be fantastic men...

 

Faithe

[Catwoman]

I'm so glad to hear that the boy's parents were happy -- he must be so proud of himself!

 

I was surprised to read the negative posts to this thread, as these boys were clearly trying to do a wonderful and generous thing. I got the impression that a few people equated their kindness with vandalism, and I can't understand that.

 

Personally, I think those parents are very fortunate to have such a loving and hardworking son!

 

Cat

[MelanieM]

Wow, this is such a wonderful story! I can imagine how touched I would feel if my kids took on so much effort to surprise me like that. What a loving gift! And I bet if they were living with white walls that were really in need of some work, but no money or time to deal with it, then even some flawed painting feels like an extra special treat. I bet those parents are extremely proud and thankful right now!

[elegantlion]

Sounds like the boys' work was well received. Glad to hear it!!!

 

Painting a room, even a bad job, should not be equated with vandalism. I've seen "vandalism" done to a home while the owner was gone. When dh and I owned a cleaning business the grandchildren of one of our clients (older, wealthy couple, lots of valuable stuff) decided to have a party. the parents of these children paid us a large sum to clean up the evidence before the grandparents arrived home. What they did to the home because they were drinking way too much (have you ever cleaned a vomit stain from expensive wallpaper?) could have been vandalism.

 

Intrepid teens thinking of someone else beside themselves should be applauded. As someone who has watched a thousand surprise decorating shows I would have been thrilled.

[Whereneverever]

Thanks for the update, OP! I'm glad the parents were happy.

[Mom0012]

Honestly, if I wanted my house to be dark, rich colors, it would already be dark, rich colors.

 

I would try to be nice and act thrilled, because what really sweet boys to put so much work into it. But I feel very sorry for the parents and the position that this puts them in. They have to spend hundreds of dollars to have things corrected so that the house can look a way that they may absolutely hate, or they have to figure out a way to repaint in a color scheme they like without hurting their sons' feelings.

 

Ugh.

 

If it were my friends, I would want to call ahead on a cell phone and give them heads up so that they could put on their "happy faces" ahead of time and steel themselves to act thrilled.

 

:iagree:

[HappyGrace]

It sounds like these are very special parents who have raised a very special boy!

 

I also think you were a supermom/friend to help the boys out like that.

 

This thread has been a huge eye-opener for me personally, when I try to put myself in those parents' place walking into that. I want to be like those parents, seeing the gift for what it is, and appreciating the blessing that my dc would do that for me, rather than looking at the negative of the situation (not a perfect job, etc.)

[mcconnellboys]

Wow! You are wonderful for offering this and I would reiterate it to the parents. I hope that they are happy with the colors. If they aren't home that much, it shouldn't matter, at least for a while. After a while, even the boys may see the value of lighter colors....

 

I think I would be so thrilled with the work they'd done that I would say I loved any color, at least for a while. I do hope that they take you up on your offer to help w/ touch ups and if I lived near you, I'd help too!

 

What a wonderful bunch of kids,

[Nakia]

Whoa! There are some harsh posts in this thread. :glare:

 

Glad the parents were happy.

[zaichiki]

if our son had taken the initiative to paint that much as a surprise he would be thrilled. Remember when they were little and would hand you a painting of all these colors mixed together? You'd hang it on the fridge like it was a masterpiece and thank them and oh and ah over it.

 

It's like this, IMO, only on a larger scale. It's the act itself, not how it turned out. Now I'm sure my dh would be having him touch up, finish up, clean up the paint job a little, but together and not as punishment, but as training. Even if the colors weren't my favorite we'd live with it for a couple of years.

 

Absolutely!

[Teachin'Mine]

Wow - a fabulous story of two loving families. Both are blessed to know each other and your sons have made a wonderful choice in friends. :) Maybe you can have another finish it up weekend together. :)

[eternalknot]

Honestly, if I wanted my house to be dark, rich colors, it would already be dark, rich colors.

 

I would try to be nice and act thrilled, because what really sweet boys to put so much work into it. But I feel very sorry for the parents and the position that this puts them in. They have to spend hundreds of dollars to have things corrected so that the house can look a way that they may absolutely hate, or they have to figure out a way to repaint in a color scheme they like without hurting their sons' feelings.

 

Ugh.

 

If it were my friends, I would want to call ahead on a cell phone and give them heads up so that they could put on their "happy faces" ahead of time and steel themselves to act thrilled.

 

This is how my husband would feel. *In the moment, especially* he would see (1) mess, (2) cost to fix the job, (3) a color he didn't already have on the walls - for a reason. He'd come around, but his initial reaction would be disappointing. A "heads-up" phone call would be appropriate, and helpful for all parties.

 

But my husband is also the kind who won't wear the tacky tee-shirt our kids made for him (handprints) anywhere but to bed. They notice. On the other hand, I wear some pretty fugly jewelry and clothes (out in public!) that I know the kids took care to select for me. Things chosen out of love, if lack of taste LOL. I'd view this paint job the same way. The colors might shock me and take some getting used to, but the bigger picture is the heart behind the act. It's not the act itself. I'd take up my friend on an offer to have a pizza party and touch up the job. I might also vent to her privately in a good-natured way, and once a bit of time had passed I might suggest to my [adult] son that while I appreciated the sentiment, I'd be good if there weren't any more surprises of that type down the road LOL. I'd also benefit from a heads-up phone call because my initial reaction might mirror my husband's and I'd need time to process it so I could more fully appreciate the sentiment behind the act.

 

(I say that last part because I dated a guy whose heart was always in the right place, but our relationship was always me trying to appreciate his heart when his actions were over the top or otherwise inappropriate. I'd expect to have a gentle, guiding conversation with an adult child to debrief the painting situation -- probably several months down the line.)

[Denisemomof4]

Why are you offering to pay for any of it ? Do you feel responsible because you "let" your son be involved ? Actually, the damage to the property was many more times in value than $200 in paint. My guess is the damage was in the thousands. Hopefully these people will not want to hold your son or you legally responsible for coming into the house and doing damage to it. I believe they could legally.

The owner of this home are not only owed paint. They are owed a professional paint job to repair all of the damage that has been done. They are also owed having every item that was damaged in the process to be repaired or replaced.

I think it was a huge error in judgment to participate in this because for one thing no one is supposed to be altering another person's property without the consent of the property owner. There is good reason for this. This type of project can cause thousands in damage. No professional contractor will touch any job without a written contract from the property owner.

 

If teenagers want to do something kind for their parents it needs to be something that does not involve altering their property in any way because there is monetary liability that goes along with that.

 

I hope this does not cause your family any hardship.

 

:confused::confused::confused:I'm sorry but, :confused::confused::confused: These kids were trying to bless the socks off of their parents. I guess I just don't understand, or agree with, your POV. That's ok, we're all different.

[Denisemomof4]

UPDATE:

 

DS got home from church and gave me a pretty simple update. The parents weren't in church today, but the son was. He said they loved it.

 

I will talk to the parents in person on Wednesday and see if I can get a vibe on how they really feel. LOL I will offer my services softly and just let them contact me if they would like to take me up on it.

 

 

I do understand the legalities of what they did and the somber advice here rings true for most people. They do own their home, so there is no problem there. The cost to repaint would be expensive but not too bad because it was all contractors white before and could be again. No matter what, it needed to be painted, 9 years, pets and kids....it needed a layer of paint. If there was a cost to repaint it, it would just be in the lost paint already and 2-3 coats of a quality white. I could shoot it my self in two days (the beauty of shooting one color LOL). The cost would be labor and we could avoid that. Nothing was broken and my son went over the floor on his hands and knees to make sure no paint remained on the floor. I cleaned the kitchen and the sink used to wash the brushes, so I know that was taken care of. All the painting was done when I left last night so it was all in good shape.

 

I am certain the son wouldn't have done something that he thought his parents would object to. Yes, boys don't always think things through, but honestly I know these parents and I do think he is right, they won't mind. I would :) they won't.

 

I do think it was such an incredibly heartfelt gift from these boys. This was a lot of long days and hard work. They didn't get started and decide it was too much work, they just pushed through and got it done. Incidentally 3 of the 4 were homeschooled :), maybe that is the stick-to-it-even-if-it-is-hard personality trait at work. Another homeschooler trait.....the son, looked up instructions on u-tube on how to patch a hole in a wall, bought the supplies and fixed it too. He did a great job on that. He also took a needle and thread and stitched up a hole in the couch. All of this from a kid who struggled in homeschool high school, but is now turning into an incredible adult and doing great in Bible College. He plans to be a missionary and/or a pastor. :) I think he definitely has the heart for it.

 

The reason I am offering to help financially (and with free labor) is that while the boys heart was in the right place, I don't think they realize how the flaws stand out so much more due to the dark colors. They ran out of paint and I know this teen nor the parents have the money to buy more. This family has been a huge blessing to MANY, MANY people. At one point they even adopted another teenage boy, homeschooled him and loved him despite his many traits that others would have been overwhelmed by. They are truly the most unassuming and loving people I know. I think that this is what they will see in this project. LOVE.

 

this is SO heartwarming. Really, my eyes are welling up. What great parents, what GREAT kids, and you're a WONDERFUL and generous friend and neighbor. I'm so glad everyone is happy!!! Life is good!!!:001_smile:

[Miss Sherry]

The OP's 16yo was asked by the 19yo ADULT son of the home owners to help. He didn't go in and decide "Hey I think WE should paint YOUR parents' house." So yes, the only one that would 'owe' them would be their own teen. If you want to look at it so technically, the 19yo basically contracted out extra labor. Even if all he was 'paying' him was soda or lunch.

If you are going to talk about "contracting out" than you need to realize that a 19 year old has no legal authority to do so unless that 19 year old is legally an owner of the property. Even a renter does not have legal authority to contract out work on property.

[Miss Sherry]

:confused::confused::confused:I'm sorry but, :confused::confused::confused: These kids were trying to bless the socks off of their parents. I guess I just don't understand, or agree with, your POV. That's ok, we're all different.

Yes, I also think it's great when kids want to put an effort into doing something special for their parents.

I think 19 years old is too old not to notice at some point before painting 1000 sq feet while that you are making a mess and causing damage.

I hope the parents own the home because if they are renters and are responsible to pay to have all of the damage fixed I wonder if they will want their 19 year old to pay for the bill. :001_huh:

[elegantlion]

Yes, I also think it's great when kids want to put an effort into doing something special for their parents.

I think 19 years old is too old not to notice at some point before painting 1000 sq feet while that you are making a mess and causing damage.

I hope the parents own the home because if they are renters and are responsible to pay to have all of the damage fixed I wonder if they will want their 19 year old to pay for the bill. :001_huh:

 

Yes, the OP stated in an additional post the parents own the property.

[Denisemomof4]

Yes, I also think it's great when kids want to put an effort into doing something special for their parents.

I think 19 years old is too old not to notice at some point before painting 1000 sq feet while that you are making a mess and causing damage.

I hope the parents own the home because if they are renters and are responsible to pay to have all of the damage fixed I wonder if they will want their 19 year old to pay for the bill. :001_huh:

 

I think most 19 yo boys won't be the neatest painters. If it were me personally, I'd work hard to do all the clean-up work myself, and thank my son, and all involved, for the wonderful thing they did. I'd do all the work if I were a renter, making sure there was NO damage present.

 

I've dealt with some of this myself and thankfully my boy's hearts weren't crushed by my not appreciating their heartfelt gift.

[Guest Treasured2005]

That is an amazing story! I can't imagine coming home to that, but it is really sweet that they did that!