This morning my son decided to pack his lunch, the first time this year. He excitedly made up a sandwich and put a couple goodies in the bag. As I began to clean the kitchen after getting him off to school, I saw the little sack on the counter. Decision time—to take the lunch to school or let him deal the consequences of forgetting it. This wasn't as big a decision since I had given him $2.00 for a drink, since a lunch with milk costs just $1.65 at his school, he has more than enough to eat properly. At the beginning of the school year I placed $10.00 in his account in the cafeteria in case of emergencies. The only problem though was that when he realized he had this spare account money at school he began to use that money for his lunches and use the daily lunch money I gave him each day for soft drinks and snacks. I found this out only after I got a notice that he owed money to the school. I explained that the account was in case he forgot his lunch money and that now he would have to rebuild the account with the leftover change that he was given each day. Today, the school called and asked if he had left his lunch at home. When I explained that it was here, they requested that I bring it down. I told them that he had enough money with him to buy lunch and he would need to do so. They asked if I was not too busy to please bring it by. I told them, no, I wasn't too busy, but that I would not be bringing it, since I feel David needs to learn that the whole world doesn't stop when he forgets his lunch. I want to teach my son the life lessons now. Responsibility doesn't just happen—it must be taught.
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2 comments:
You are SO right. I'm proud of you for sticking to your decision. He may be mad at you for a little while but I guarantee that years from now he will appreciate your decision. Why can I be so sure? Because one day in junior high (they call it middle school today -- just shows how old I am) I left my purse at home and tearfully over the telephone begged my mother to bring it to me and she refused. I felt insecure all day without it because it made me NOT like all the other girls who had their purses. But, I know now the difference that that experience made in my development as a mature and secure in the world "just as I am" person. You did the right thing.
Rita
rrshaefer@comcast.net
Thanks Rita! He decided to take lunch today (the following day), upon getting it ready he said "I should probably put this in my backpack so I won't forget it again." I just wish all lesson were learned this easily. A funny thing- when I spoke to David about not running his lunch to him, he hadn't expected it- he was just concerned that he might have left it on the bus or somewhere else. He just wanted to locate it, it was the school that was stressing out about it.
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