From the heights of pride to the lows of disappointment in less than 24 hours.
On the relative scale of stupid Skid behavior this is not all that bad but it did bring tears of disappointment to my Wife's eyes.
I was on my way home from work last evening when my wife called my cell to see if I was on my way and to ask what I wanted to do for dinner. I told her that since it was the Skids first full day home that they could decide and I would be there to pick them up in about a half an hour. I also asked if the Skid was showered and presentable.
My wife asked him if he had showered. His response was an immediate "Yes". Any time this kid answers a questions so quickly that there is zero chance his brain engaged before his mouth moved he is lying.
So, when I get home, I run upstairs to use the bathroom (the master bath toilet is broken and is on my week-end honey do list). I used my Skids bathroom and there in the bathtub is the disassembled humidifier that has been in his tub for a couple of months. My wife was cleaning it and did not finish putting it back together.
So, it is clear to me that SS was full of crap about having showered. After dinner we got home and while we were sitting in our LR talking I asked him flat out why he felt it necessary to fib about anything at all much less about something as ridiculous as having showered. He went in his to historical gyrations of acting all offended that I was questioning his veracity, etc......
I asked him when he got in the shower if he had noticed anything in his tub. He ran upstairs to look and came down with a look that was a combination of being really pissed at Dad and being embarrassed that he had gotten caught in his pathetic dishonest bullshit.
My wife just sat on the sofa looking at him with tears in her eyes. She was incredibly hurt that he had lied.
So, though on the relative scale of things this is no big deal much of the good will that my SS had managed to build with his Mom and I over his truly outstanding year went down the tubes in less than 24 hours.
Sigh!!!!!!!!
It may take the rest of my life but I will fix this kid if it kills both of us.
Best regards,
- Rags's blog
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Comments
Tell your wife not to take it too hard Rags...
I have two - TWO - teenaged daughters (18 & 15), and what your son did was absolutely NORMAL! Really - why let a shower have this much effect on his happy homecoming?
Like you said, like you said, it's really not a big deal. He knows he was busted, and I'm pretty sure he knows he'll continue to get busted by you and your DW if he tries lying again.
We all saw how happy you were with his grades, and his achievements this year, don't let something like a white lie about a shower bring you or your wife down. As I've said to DH - "Is this really the hill you want to "die" on?".
How about offering your son a mulligan on this, and have a great weekend with him finally home!
Thanks. I know it is really no big deal and nothing every teen
does not pull periodically. I know I did. We won't kill him over it but I will give him crap about it every couple of days just to drive the point home.
I told him that lying even one time is never worth it and that he for sure does not want to make it a trend. A trend will result in loosing our trust which will severely limit his activities for the summer.
He told us last night that he was disappointed in himself and the he would take 2secs to think before he answered from now on.
So, only a temporary disappointment. Nothing critical.
Kids and their penchant for relapses in Cranio-Rectal syndrome.
Gotta love 'em. :O
Success is rarely final. Failure is rarely fatal. It is courage and consistency of effort that count. Vince Lombardi
Well, I see it as a great
Well, I see it as a great lesson learned. Kids constantly need to be reminded that 1)Mom and Dad aren't brain dead 2) M&D typically know when a kid is lying. 3)It's OK to test the boundaries as long as it's in a safe place with responsible adults.
Rags, I admire your tenacity! "It may take the rest of my life but I will fix this kid if it kills both of us." You are an inspiration.