I vote, you should have taken him hunting. It's a day trip as I understand it. What did he not have with him he needed that you couldn't run and pick up or provide. It's pigs in a bait site for gosh sakes. You're not stalking gazelles on the open veld. Life's lesson??? I think you just disappointed a teenager with hormone problems as well as family problems as I understand it. You decided to become his "Teacher of life's lessons" and the kid sounds like he needs a helping hand with no dad on the scene. The only lesson I see is another Man figure let him down in his eyes. Life's lesson indeed. Take a kid hunting for gosh sakes. The whole family is in a state of "What now" with hubby not on the scene and you let the kid down. Wrong decision. The kid will tell you... you're not my dad. He'll with draw further to his friends and "Girl Friend". Of course you have to understand I come from a family of crotchetty old farts with one divorce in the family tree in the last 50 years. In similar threads on here the same people that tell you teach him a lesson would tell you, "You made a committment". Well, you found an excuse to get out of it in the kids eyes. Sure you give him all the grief and trouble you want about not being prepared. That's the lesson. But you take him hunting. In my opinion, you need some life lessons too.