Hey, That's Mine! - Part 2

(Continued from March 27, 2010) ...... With all of the confidence of an experienced Assistant Principal who had made inroads with this family, I called Bill’s dad to give him the bad news. A few words into my explanation of Bill’s upcoming suspension from school, Bill’s father went nuts on the phone, yelling and using a host of profane words that would have made most people blush.

I let Bill’s dad carry on for a few minutes before he calmed down. I again began to explain the situation when he interrupted me by saying, “I knew that some of my marijuana was missing. He stole my stuff”.

Well, that’s just great. We’re trying to keep Bill on the high road and his dad was apparently keeping marijuana in the house – stored in a locale that was obviously known to Bill.

While that was one of the saddest telephone calls that I have had to endure in my career, it is worth noting that Bill and his dad entered counseling, at the urging of our professional staff and, after a few years, they began to have some father-son fun together!

So, while the story eventually had a reasonably happy ending, I could never stop thinking about what would have happened with Bill’s life if a) his dad had sought counseling years before, or b) if our professional staff had not intervened. It took Bill and his dad a few years, but they got the father-son job done!

Remember, the best form of parenting is the loving approach that begins in the womb and consistently carries through entire lives. But, if life deals a significant blow, there is always time to get it together at a future point. It’s never too late!

So, how about you? Have you, or has somebody in your lifetime, thrown away good years, only to rescue all at a later age? It happens all of the time. Never give up because it is never too late!

As I am fond of saying, nobody ever said that parenting was easy! Hang in there, love your kids, and spend time with them – before they get your attention by stealing your goods!


Paul W. Reeves