booandbunny

Dinner segued to homework and some family reading time. All in all it was great night. Then it happened. Mr. 6 got caught putting his imagination to bad use: He tried to cover up a note from his teacher about a teensy-weensy (not kidding no-big-deal) incident at school. why? Why? WHY as humans must we go through this process of learning that lying really is just too much work?

I remember the bust that really brought it home for me. I was about 12 and had forged my mother’s signature in a similar case … caught cursing on the Catholic playground I was to write down what I said and have her sign it so I could give it to the principal ... yup ... a nun. Anyway, what happened at school was not as big a deal as lying was. So we had to deliver this message to Mr. 6 and I had all those same feelings in my stomach that I used to have when I got in trouble myself. I hate having to teach these tough lessons of life. Lessons such as:

*Just because her parents let her do it doesn’t mean I’ll let you do it;
*Lying is worse than touching stuff on the walls in the hallway at school;
*It takes a stronger person to walk away than it does to strike a blow;
*Sometimes you have to stay and fight, you can’t walk away;
*That rotten feeling in the pit of your stomach is far harsher punishment than I could ever dole out, but I have to punish you anyway.

It’s in the postgame that I realize – as awful as it was for all of us – we handled it OK. He went to bed knowing he was in trouble, but also knowing that we love him. I went to bed knowing he understood these things, but wondering when he’d lie again. He’s a kid. There are envelopes to push. Even the good kids push them. We haven’t even hit the smoking, drinking, sexing years. So I’m going to start asking for advice now. What did you lie about as a kid and what happened when you got caught?

// posted by HoBess @ 4/26/2006 12:54:00 PM