We went to Staples after dinner tonight to pick up some office supplies. As usual, the boys had a case of The Gimmes. "Mommy, can I have this?" "Papa, can you buy me that?" followed by a quick "No" every time.
After a stop at the grocery store and more Gimmes, we headed home to unload our purchases.
Standing in the kitchen, a little toy magnet rolls out of Gerrit's waistband. I quickly remember specifically saying no with the reason that our fridge doesn't hold magnets (stainless steel) and also remembering the time they put a magnet on my laptop erasing my hard drive. Not that I even needed a reason because no means NO!
So how do you teach a kindergartener this valuable lesson? I remember when my big brother was caught stealing a pack of gum at about the same age. My mother marched him into the store and made him return the gum promptly. He then more than likely got his rear end beat! Which was the typical punishment back then. My brother never stole again!
But I really needed to impress on him the importance of his actions. Obviously, we were not able to drive back to the store.
I had to think fast!
I decided to make him write "I will not steal" 20 times. Making sure everything was legible and spelled correctly or he had to redo the whole sentence.
With tears streaming down his face he eventually finished his punishment before going straight to bed with no dessert. So before he heas upstairs, I ask him "Gerrit, now what have you learned from this?" Now his tears are really flowing and it is turning into his ugly cry. He could barely talk from the crying. What was his answer?
"That you don't love me anymore!"
God help me!
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Location:Savannah
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