Last year, my son was expelled from school.
One day, three boys surrounded him and started making fun of him.
My son tried to stay calm and create some distance, but one person stood in front of him, blocking his path.
Then, another boy uttered words that would change his life.
"I'm glad your mother is in a wheelchair. I
hope she dies of a seizure one day."
Our family has already experienced great grief.
This April will mark 11 years since my daughter passed away.
She only lived for 14 months.
The moment his son heard the words, "You should just die,"
something snapped inside him.
He turned around and punched the boy hard in the nose.
The school didn't consider what the boy had said.
They simply expelled my son for the reason that he had physically assaulted the other boy.
So I took my son to get ice cream.
There is a line that should never be crossed with words.
I wholeheartedly support my son for standing up and saying, "That's enough."
He knows that hitting someone comes with consequences.
But there are some things in life that you absolutely must protect.
When that time comes, I will always be by my son's side.
I’m sitting in the food court when this little boy, maybe 6 or 7 years old, accidentally knocks over his slushee. Blue and red goop explodes everywhere......all over the table, the floor, his shirt, you name it. The kid freezes, looks up at his dad with big scared eyes and immediately says, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…”
I’m expecting the usual frustrated parent reaction, but instead the dad just kneels down to his level, puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder and says calmly, “Hey, it happens, buddy. Accidents are part of life. Come on, let’s go grab some napkins and I’ll show you how to clean it up.”
They walk over together, get a big stack of napkins, and the dad gets down on the floor with him. They’re both wiping up the mess while the dad talks him through it like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
When they finish and throw the napkins away, the dad squats down again and tells him, “Listen, you’re going to be a human being for a long time. You’ve got a really smart brain, so it’s important you learn to be more aware of what’s around you. Next time just pay a little more attention so accidents like this don’t happen. But even if they do, it’s okay. As long as you take responsibility and help clean it up, it’s no big deal. The cleanup is easy when you own it.”
The little boy nods, looking relieved, and says, “Okay Dad… I’ll try to be more careful.”
The dad smiles, ruffles his hair and goes, “That’s my boy. Now let’s get you another slushee.”
Man… no yelling, no shame, no making the kid feel small. Just calm teaching, accountability, and love all in one. That’s exactly how you raise a good human.
I really hope I’m half the dad that guy is one day.