Daddy Whiskers

I just walked in the house from dropping Alex off at the bus stop and gave a barbaric yawp (Dead Poet Society was our weekend movie) because I could. Because no one was home. Not even Tyler who is on a business trip for 2 days. Because I haven't had a quiet house to myself for awhile.

And while walking up the street, I decided I didn't want to spend my precious few hours finishing the laundry or cleaning some bathrooms (which I had determined I would do upon my arrival back at home). Instead I'm simply doing something I want to do and which I get very little time to do lately. Blog.

Monday I took four of the kids to Big 5 to get some shoes for Trek coming up this summer. While at the checkout line, Ash and Alex oogled and awed over Daddy Whiskers.

You see, we have Baby Whiskers at our house and Alex desperately wanted to add to his collection.

I firmly told him no and for him to put it back. A half hour later all 6 of us piled out of van at home. Um . . . we only had 5 on the way there!?!?!

Alex, the Great Houdini, had managed to sneakily whisk Daddy Whiskers out of the store and into the van without a soul seeing him.

This was a great teaching moment as we talked about stealing and the consequences. It was already late by the time we got home, but I knew I couldn't let a day go by without returning our little stuffed pet. Alex and Ash and I piled back into the van and made the 40 minute trip to Big 5. Alex reluctantly gave his friend back and apologized. If it had been up to him, he'd have simply walked into the store and put it back on the shelf. But I told him that part of fixing what he did was he needed to tell the store employee.

I would like to report that he felt much better afterwards, but he didn't. He still felt miserable wanting that stuffed dog. I do believe it will be a memory he will be able to look back on.

I clearly remember a similar incidence when I was about Alex's age, maybe a little older.


My friend Lynn and I had walked down to Morley's, a grocery store in our little town (the taller, white building in the back).

We wandered and gazed and looked and I ended up walking out with some bubble gum. My mom asked me where I had gotten the gum from and when I told her I had taken it from the store, she promptly made me spit it out (no enjoying stolen contraband) and took me back to pay for it. That was a hard thing having to fess up about something I'd done wrong.

All kids are going to make mistakes, but they can be turned into learning/teaching junctures if we seize that crucial moment.