Yesterday was quite possibly one of the worst days I have had as a parent. The day started out good. I was planning on having some of my friends and their children over for a play date. I was excited! They came we played, ate and talked. The kids had gone outside to play in the back and I really wasn’t too worried about them. They only thing that they could really get into was the water, but Travis had just put caps on all of the bibs so that the kids wouldn’t play with them, or so I thought. I guess he had tried to put them on, but they didn’t fit. So, I went back to check on them and the entire stair well was full of water. They had turned the hose bib on and left the water running and it seeped down and started to full the well up from the bottom. Of course they didn’t think to turn the water off, or come and get me and tell me what was happening, they instead decided it would be fun to play in it. When I found them I was actually surprisingly calm and simply told them to go to their room. I told the mother of their friends that were here and she proceeded to take the kids home.
I went up to the boys’ room to check on them again and their window was open and all of their books, dresser drawers full of clean clothes, blankets pillows, sheets and toys, pretty much anything in their room that was not to heavy for them to lift was thrown out the window. Now let me just say, that their window is right above the stairwell that was now filled with water. Everything was sopping wet. All the books were ruined. I couldn’t stop crying about this. I love books! I love my children to have books to read and learn from. I am so disappointed in my boys. Don't get me wrong. I love them deeply, which is part of the reason for my disappointment. I am at a complete loss at what to do. Every time I went out to try and clean things up, all I could do was cry. We have tried, and tried to teach them the rules, to teach them obedience and responsibility for their things. Our FHE lesson on Monday was on obedience and it’s importance.
We have now taken everything out of their room except their mattresses and one blanket each. They will have to earn the rest of their stuff back. We cannot trust them with it. Their window is shut up so that they cannot open it. Travis found a way to cap the hose bibs. They are grounded for the rest of the week. And they must help me wash all the clothes that they threw out the window. I don’t know if any of this will teach them however. I feel so lost and unsure of what to do.
4 comments:
Sounds like you did the right thing! I remember one summer we got in trouble for something and we were given 2 outfits and pj's and had to hand wash our clothes for I am not sure how long it could have only been a week. But I remember the lesson I got out of it, that hand washing your clothes is hard work and you shouldn't make more work for your mom. Well something along those lines. I think make them earn their stuff back is exactly the right thing to do, they will realize how much they want their stuff! Just make sure it is not easy to earn it back! :)
Oh man! maybe I'm not so bummed that we couldn't make it. I'm not glad that I was sick, but I would have felt really bad if Tornado had "helped." On the other hand we probably would have known sooner because he would have come and complained about getting wet and messy. Somedays having a fastidious little boy is a good thing.
I am SO sorry this happened!
While reading this I just cried for you! As you know with Austin we go through a lot of the same problems of disobedience and their lack of respect for others with our kids!
I love you and hope that our children will one day learn the things that we try SO hard to teach them about respect and obedience!
HAHA! Just blog surfing and look who I found a link to. And not a moment too soon - looks like you life is getting to be pretty fun :) Ahhh, life with lots of boys and their brilliant ideas. Been there, done that. Okay, STILL doing that. Don't remind me. I'm totally adding you to my link list. Miss you!
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