Life lesson
I was recently called into school to pick up Robert from the principal's office. He'd accidentally missed the bus, and while I was there, the principal asked me to step in to her office for a minute.
My heart sunk, just like any parent. My first thought was, "What's he done?"
The principal explained to me that apparently a girl's parents had tried to implicate Bob and two other boys in what seems like -- without sounding overreactive -- a case of sexual assault against a girl in their class. In my day it would have been an innocent enough thing, but these days, all this stuff is taken very seriously, and occasionally with good reason.
Anyway, what had happened was that Bob had asked a couple of other boys to play with him at recess. They weren't enthusiastic about the idea, so they dared him to kiss another one of their classmates -- a girl.
Now, Bob refused to. At the risk of sounding like a prideful parent, I like to think I've taught my kids right from wrong, and he knows he has no business kissing girls that don't want to be kissed. There are lines you don't cross, and that's one of them. Then again, he could have been scared of catching cooties. Hell, whatever works.
Bob walked off and didn't do what they wanted him to do, entertained himself through recess and got on with his day. The girl caught wind of the exchange, however, and told her parents about it when she got home. Needless to say, they asked the school administration to look into the incident.
Bob was cleared of any wrongdoing. He did the right thing, the principal acknowledged that, and redirected her attention to the boys who deserved it.
We're big in this house on applying practical experience to our knowledge. Bonnie and I often turn shopping trips into math quizzes or yardwork into science experiments -- it comes from a year of homeschooling. So on the way home, I asked Bob if he'd learned anything from the experience.
He thought about it for a moment, and sighed. "Yeah, the lesson is not to ask *stupid* kids to play with me."
As you can see, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Comments
I stand corrected...that's one bright kid.
:D
Posted by: Cleet | March 10, 2003 09:24 AM