My son came home from school yesterday with a note from the principal and it wasn't a commendation for exemplary behaviour.
Apparently, he has been teasing an older boy on the school bus for how long now, I don't know. When I asked him what happened, he told me it wasn't that big a deal, that the other kid started it, and he really didn't feel that bad about it. When my son told me he'd called the other kid a "booger-eater" because the other kid picked his nose and ate it, I truly could not stop myself from laughing out loud - at the same time realizing that here was a golden opportunity to teach my son a LIFE LESSON, which he wasn't going to learn if I didn't squelch my laughter.
During our conversation, I tried to get answers to "Why? Why would you say that?" and "How would you feel if someone was picking on you?" and the classic guilt-inducing line "I did not raise you to treat people this way."
My son's inital response to all of these questions was "But MOM! You and Dad both told me it's okay to get in trouble once in awhile!"
O-o-k-a-a-y... Mummy needs a lesson in clarification tout-de-suite.
The principal made him apologize to the other student earlier in the day, but I also made him write a note of apology to both the principal for his crummy behaviour, and to the other kid for hurting his feelings and then he was sent to bed early to THINK ABOUT WHAT HE'D DONE.
I wanted his punishment to fit the crime, for him to realize that we must take into account other people's feelings, while still standing up for ourselves.
But seriously? "Booger-eater" is older than my prom dress...and still just as slap-my-ass-funny!
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