Help the man.

Hi everyone in the Nut's world. I've got a problem, and I'm having a
tough time figuring out what I should do about it.

Background first.

I am a single parent. My son, 17, lives with me. It's not an easy life for me and him. Not bad, but not awesome either. My job requires 41-50 hours per week, plus an additional 45 minute drive to and from. And twice a week I have to drive another 45 minutes to get to my night classes. In between all this, I have to try and make sure my son eats, does homework, chores, etc. He is a junior in high school. He recently got his driver's license and he works part time at a nearby business. I also have 2 other children, my daughters, 11 and 4, who I usually get 2-3 weekends a month.

I'm having lots of problems with my son. He is, in general, a very intelligent young man. He knows what he needs to do for work, school, etc. But he just refuses to do these things. The 1st 9 week grading period, he got an F and 2 D's. He lost his internet privileges for the 2nd 9 weeks. His interim grades came in and one of his C's has dropped to an F and so has one of the D's. His previous F is up to a C. This week, while still waiting for his report card to come in, I received a letter from
his English teacher. His interim showed a C, but his grade for the 2nd 9 weeks was a dismal 31.4 - an F. The teacher says he has not been turning in his homework and such. His semester grade is a failing 64.2. Needless to say, I'm not a happy camper. But I tell him I'm gonna wait until his report card arrives before I decide on a punishment.

Today, after arriving home from adding him onto my auto insurance policy, I find a speeding ticket on my desk. My son was caught on radar doing 60 in a 45mph zone, right in front of his school. He drives a POS car, a 1990 Cavalier. The road he was on is maybe a mile, if that. And at least half of that is 35mph, not 45. Besides his school, there is also a middle and elementary school on that road. I'm pretty upset about the ticket, but then I figured out I am required to be at court with
him for the ticket. He can't just mail in a payment. I have to be there with him. Which will require me missing work. I hate to be that way, but money is too tight to begin with. Arggggggg.

I feel like I should ground him big time. No TV, videogames, car, work. But I also need him to work and do those things, because they keep him from getting into other more dangerous trouble when I'm unfortunately too busy to be there watching him like a hawk. His real mother we haven't heard from in almost 5 years. And his step-mother has enough on her hands, what with my 2 girls, her new 1 year old son, and her boyfriend's 3 kids. I feel like I need to handle this, but I just don't know how or
what to do.

Help me please...I really don't know what to do now.

:(

NASCAR Nut