Saturday morning
6:45 AM
Mr. Taylor drives over to church to clean.
7:55 AM
Mr. Taylor calls to tell the rest of us to come. Teenager won't wake up. 4 year old is still asleep. Mother stumbles to van without shoes. Drives 9 and 11 year old to church.
8:05
Drop off kids while other members of congregation arrive to clean.
8:08
Mother returns to bed.
8:25
4 year old gets up
8:50
Doorbell rings. Mother assumes the kids have come home and are playing games. Ignores doorbell
9:05
Mr. Taylor enters bedroom and asks, "Where is my brother?"
Mom rolls over and rasps, "Am I your brother's keeper?"
Mr. Taylor says, "His truck is parked outside and he's not there. We have a tee time."
Mom says, "Oh, crap."
Rewind.
8:50
Doorbell rings. 4 year old boy opens door and asks, "Are you a stranger?" Man takes off his sunglasses and asks if his daddy is home. Boy opens door and says, "I'll check." Boy goes to garage, sees his dad's car is gone and invites man into house. "My mom reads me books about strangers who are like witches and turn you into animal food" (I do not). Boy closes door and shows man how to lock the door with deadbolt. Boy takes strange man downstairs to play with toys.
9:06
Man and boy come upstairs where man continues tour of messy house, arriving in boy's room. Mom begins yet another lecture on "Stranger Danger." Boy explains the man is not a stranger. Mom asks boy who the man is. Boy turns to man and asks, "What's your name?" Mom rolls her eyes.
9:08
Mr. Taylor and brother-in-law are ready to leave. Boy tells man that next time he comes over he needs to spend the night. Man tells boy he will consider it if the boy remembers his name next time. Mom asks boy who the man is. "Steven," he replies.
At least he got his name in the end.
Anybody know any effective strategies for teaching a child about stranger danger without crushing his indomitable spirit?
6:45 AM
Mr. Taylor drives over to church to clean.
7:55 AM
Mr. Taylor calls to tell the rest of us to come. Teenager won't wake up. 4 year old is still asleep. Mother stumbles to van without shoes. Drives 9 and 11 year old to church.
8:05
Drop off kids while other members of congregation arrive to clean.
8:08
Mother returns to bed.
8:25
4 year old gets up
8:50
Doorbell rings. Mother assumes the kids have come home and are playing games. Ignores doorbell
9:05
Mr. Taylor enters bedroom and asks, "Where is my brother?"
Mom rolls over and rasps, "Am I your brother's keeper?"
Mr. Taylor says, "His truck is parked outside and he's not there. We have a tee time."
Mom says, "Oh, crap."
Rewind.
8:50
Doorbell rings. 4 year old boy opens door and asks, "Are you a stranger?" Man takes off his sunglasses and asks if his daddy is home. Boy opens door and says, "I'll check." Boy goes to garage, sees his dad's car is gone and invites man into house. "My mom reads me books about strangers who are like witches and turn you into animal food" (I do not). Boy closes door and shows man how to lock the door with deadbolt. Boy takes strange man downstairs to play with toys.
9:06
Man and boy come upstairs where man continues tour of messy house, arriving in boy's room. Mom begins yet another lecture on "Stranger Danger." Boy explains the man is not a stranger. Mom asks boy who the man is. Boy turns to man and asks, "What's your name?" Mom rolls her eyes.
9:08
Mr. Taylor and brother-in-law are ready to leave. Boy tells man that next time he comes over he needs to spend the night. Man tells boy he will consider it if the boy remembers his name next time. Mom asks boy who the man is. "Steven," he replies.
At least he got his name in the end.
Anybody know any effective strategies for teaching a child about stranger danger without crushing his indomitable spirit?
oh my that is scary... but how did he not know his uncle?
ReplyDeleteMy kids have been going through this thing of not realizing they just asked a stranger to pick them up until it's too late... scares me to death after that crazy lady who tried to take them a few months back.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteThis story suddenly makes Bob's separation issues and stranger anxiety much more adorable.
(Your brother-in-law is cute. I would have let him in too.)
OK, I was totally confused, but that was his uncle?! Wow- a lesson a stranger danger is definitely in order. The Boy Scouts do a great lesson on this kind of thing if you can get a hold of some literature. If not, let me know and I'll mail you copies from our Tiger Cub book.
ReplyDeleteBring back the 50's. Social protocol meant that being an ax murderer wasn't an option.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I scare the crap out of my kids. I tell them stories and make them have nightmares of what could happen if they aren't careful. I know I shouldn't but my best friend was kidnapped when we were 6 and wasn't discovered until 4 days later. I can't seem to get it out of my head that every kid isn't kidnapped.
ReplyDeleteYikes! That is so scary!
ReplyDeleteDitto on the scary! I worry about this, as my son is super friendly, remembers everybody's name, and we have some less safe people in our neighborhood. Oh I don't look forward to these kinds of things.
ReplyDelete