I love my wife. She's so freakin' SOLID.
So, D. (the fresh air fund kid) was complaining a lot. He didn't like anything we did, didn't want to do anything other than what he wanted to do, and kept saying he wanted to go home. Maggie called the folks at Fresh Air for advice. After speaking with a completely unhelpful "hotline" operator who kept putting her on hold to go ask her supervisor what she should say, she finally got in touch with the regional coordinator, who was absolutely terrific.
So, Maggie took D. aside and said "Look. If you want to go home, that's fine. I can bring you right now. But we really like having you here, and are really looking forward to having you hear for six more days. But it's your choice. The thing is, there are four children here, and we can't change everything around so we can do only what you want, whenever you want to do it. So it's up to you: if you want to have fun, you can. If you want to go home, you can. But it's YOUR choice to have a good time or not."
He was kind of silent after that, then his attitude changed completely, and has remained so today.
Rock on. Love to you all. Even you, the dude in the clashing blues.
4 comments:
That's nice that you have taken in a kid and offer a safe place for him to see the real side of life. I guess it is hard for this kid to adapt do to his surrounding. I'm also glad to read on that he stayed because most kids don't get an opportunity to get away.
My sons is in the same situation. He told me the other day that he didnt like it at my house because of all of our "rules". As the week went on he kept finding things he did like. By the end of the week before he went back to his moms he retracted his statement with the exception of him not liking our rules.
Your wife is a genius. She will make a successful crisis management counselor.
When I see kids misbehaving, I wonder if I ever behaved like that when I was growing up. But, I never did. I have always been as intelligent as I am today. In fact, I was more brilliant and disciplined when I was a kid. Well, could be due to the fact that I have always imitated Jesus Christ from my childhood. Except that Jesus never played rock music and never "toasted" the pretty babes.
I just love your posts.
No doubt, you are a good father.
There is one thing that I never understood. How come you always say that the kids look like Maggie? Anybody can see that you and the youngens look like 4 peas in a pot. It must be some kind of ongoing compliment to Maggie... best guess!
Post a Comment