While Offspring has many, many wonderful characteristics, he often lacks in the "follow up" department. Especially when it comes to things like remembering to bring his homework home. His homework in 3rd grade consists of two parts each night - a sheet with math problems and a literary assignment. The literacy assignment is supposed to be written into their literacy notebook, a notebook they are to carry back and forth to school each day. Offspring has less than a stellar record on remembering his literacy notebook. We've replaced it twice now since only July. I was completely fed up yesterday when he turned up after school empty handed AGAIN. So this morning, I told him that if he didn't bring it home today that a) he would be in BIG trouble and that b) I would turn him right around and he'd have to walk back to school to retrieve it.
About 10 minutes after school let out, I was looking out the window expecting to see him skipping down the sidewalk. Instead, my phone rang. It the school's phone number. That means one of two things. He's sick/hurt, or he has behaved very badly. Being the mother of a small mischevious boy, I have received more than one of the latter calls. Instead I heard his teacher's voice: "Hello, Offspring's mom? I'm calling to tell you that your son won't leave school."
I will admit, that's a new one.
She explained that he was unsuccessful in his attempts to find his literacy notebook - and that she even had the whole class looking for it in all of the desks, etc. He said "My mom's gonna kill me if I don't bring it home today". She assured him that it would be ok to go home, that I wouldn't actually kill him, but he was adamant that he stay at school because I would make him go back. Stifling my laughter, I told her that she could confirm to him that I would not actually kill him. Yes, he would be in trouble, but no, I would not turn him around to go back. After I hung up, I continued to laugh - but you can't argue with the boy's logic:
Mom says she will turn me around to get it if I come home without it.
I can't find it.
So ..... I'll just stay at school.
Plus ... she's probably gonna kill me.
It's a little evil, but I love that I can instill the fear of god in that child. I have a feeling it will come in handy when he's a teenager.
