Two days ago high school started again for my son. He is entering his junior year and would you believe that he thinks school is unnecessary since he already knows everything. His main goal is to hang out with all of his friends. I have been through this before with my twins, and I am anxiously waiting for the day when I hear those magic words… "Mom, I wish I would have listened to you." It happened with my mom and I, and then with my twins coming to me when they became more mature. It will only be a matter of time before I will hear them again from my youngest son.
I had decided that since I am off work that I would get the house cleaned up and organized before I returned to the office. Our home was designated as the safe place by my son and all of his friends this summer so I had a bigger task than normal. I know they don't think I am that cool, however they know that there will be no drinking, drug use or inappropriate behavior accepted here. I also believe, or would at least like to humor myself, that they loved my cooking. I didn't mind as summer was fairly short this year. YEAH! The high school had to start late last year and the summer vacation was less then two months due to some remodeling the school district had to do.
So back to cleaning up the house before my son comes home from his second day at school. I wander upstairs to where he dwells and my jaw dropped. I swear that two days ago his room was a different location. Since then aliens have moved in and left soda cans, empty water bottles, paper plates and cups everywhere throughout the attic, bedroom, closet and bathroom. I was ready to google for alien terminators.
Too many times had my son been told not to leave garbage up there or to eat and drink any kind of food or beverage. He knows that it his responsibility to tell his friends the rules and to enforce them before I do. Obviously this hadn't been the case for the last couple of days. I spent three hours cleaning up all the trash from his room and then the garage where his weight bench is. I can only imagine what he will think when he comes home to find the garbage bin on the street ready for pick up. I don't think he wanted everything I threw away in those bins to land there. I am sure that after he says thank you, which he is good about, he will go upstairs so he too can experience a jaw dropping. In this case, revenge is sweet. I am sure the first thing he will notice gone will of course be the television and game cube.
Next will be the closet. Oops, maybe I went overboard, but it is empty. I will have to pick his clothes out for him until he can recall the basics. I am sure with a week of retraining he may decide it is better to follow the rules than to pay the consequences.
I have to admit my first thought on seeing that the aliens had taken over his room and he was the leader was to send him back to the mother ship. Then shortly after deciding upon this course of action I needed to say a little prayer, eat lunch and write as I was having Search Warp withdrawals. I realized that I wouldn't send him home on the mother ship. I am just trying to make sure the consequences are appropriate.
God's Word commands us in Proverbs 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.
The bottom line is that I love my son and the consequences hurt all involved. My prayer is that he will remember this lesson as he grows into a young adult. His responsibility in the world will be much more difficult than mom taking away privileges.
