Busted!

Music Playlist at MixPod.com 

Whattayaknow, another 'zinespired look today.  While the shrug didn't last long outdoors, it was necessary to make this look office appropriate as well as beat the frigid A/C.

 All mothers love their kids.  They love their kids more than can ever be expressed in words.  But we also have a job to do.  And that job can be tough.  Our job is to mold our children into the best possible people they can be.

The reason that this job is so difficult is because as much as we don't want to admit it, our kids don't always act perfectly.  When they are little, we have to teach them to use their words and not their hands.  When they grow a bit, we have to teach them to study before they play.  Basically, we teach them right from wrong and why wrong is wrong. 

 So something happened in our house over the last couple of days.  On Fourth of July, we were up at the lake for fireworks.  There were people selling glow sticks and stuff, of course.  Kaden wanted one (a light up fedora to be exact).  I told him that I didn't have any cash.  He said he had some.  Curious.  I don't remember him having cash, but just figured my mom perhaps gave him some money or something.  Earlier that day, Patrick had picked him up from a friend's house and a roll of nickels had fallen out of his pocket.  We didn't know where it had come from, but it was Fourth of July so we told him we would talk about it later.

 Well later came last night.  I had went to get lunch at work and went to pay with a $5 I knew I had in my wallet.  It wasn't there.  When I picked Kaden up after work, I told him that he had to get his Kumon done and while he did his Kumon he had better think about the answer to the question I was about to ask him (which was where the $5 in my wallet went).

 Turns out, Kaden admitted to stealing the $5 from my wallet and $12 in rolled coins from his friend the night before.  Patrick and I were furious, disappointed and mortified.  Kaden has never done anything like this before.  In fact, when we talked to the parent of his friend to tell her what happened, she was shocked!  Kaden is such a sweet, respectful and well-mannered kid.

 Suddenly, I had flashes of seeing Kaden as a juvenile delinquent.  He would start with rolls of coins and move on to robbing gas stations or something.  This was not going to fly.  Stealing is horrible.  Stealing from friends and family?  No freaking way.  This kid was in deep shit now.

Kaden got lectured for about two hours by Patrick and I about stealing, lying, hiding and trust.  We told him about how we were trusted at our jobs, the possible implications of stealing, how his friends and/or their parents weren't going to trust him if he was stealing from their houses and the like.  We sent him down to his room to write apology letters to his friend and his friend's mother.  He was feeling pretty badly, but we weren't really sure that the point had gotten to him sufficiently. 

 Patrick and I stepped out front to discuss his punishment.  As were were standing out there, something crazy happened.  A cop car pulled up across the street.  They went to the neighbors house.  From what I could tell, it was just a misunderstanding (the house had accidentally called 911 or something to that effect).  After a minute or two, the cop started to leave.

 But not so fast, I say in my head.  I hopped on over the cop, apologized for bothering him and explained the situation with Kaden.  I asked him if he had a few minutes to talk to Kaden about stealing and the law before he left.  He obliged and walked over to the house.

 Patrick went downstairs to get Kaden and tell him someone wanted to talk to him.  As Kaden got to the front door and saw the police officer, his eyes got wide, his voice got trembly and his body was frozen.  He stood and listened to the police officer tell him the same things Patrick and I had in our lecture with all the attention he could muster for what I'm sure was the longest 5 minutes of his life.  Then the police officer left.

 Now I know some of you might not agree with how I handled this, but seriously, this was, what I felt, a necessary intervention.  We really wanted to bring the point home about how wrong it is to steal and it was perfect for Kaden to hear it from someone who deals with it all day and is not his parents.  I think that between Patrick and I's talk with Kaden, having to face his friend and his friend's mom about stealing, the punishment (a month of chores with no pay and grounded for two weeks) and the talk with the cop he will get the point.  *pops collar* that's how it's done son!

Pastel Pink Trousers with Slits-Banana Republic, thrifted; Snakeskin Asymmetrical Tank-Pamida; Ruffled Shrug-Kohl's; Necklace-Circle of Empowerment for Support by Avon; Earrings-DIY and gifted; Snakeskin Sandals-Bandolino, gifted