The Red Table

The Red Table is where children who don't pay attention in my son's preschool class have to sit and think about their transgressions. My son has been a frequent resident of The Red Table lately. We want him to know it's not acceptable but at the same time it's almost inevitable when you have a preschool class full of 4 year old boys who are constantly playing Power Rangers, karate and Incredible Hulk vs. Spiderman; they will get side tracked from time to time. Especially now that it is summer time and they aren't following a strict school curriculum and everyday is a themed fun day like bubble day, swim day, pajama day, etc.

But regardless to the lack of structure over the summer he still needs listen to his teacher so, my husband and I have resorted to threatening him with no toys or television if he goes to The Red Table. But I get the feeling he's past the point of dreading his fate because he already knows staying away from The Red Table will be a struggle. In the mornings if you ask him if he's going to The Red Table he says, "I'm going to try not to," The other day while he was in the bathtub we had the following conversation:

ME: If you hurry up and wash up you can catch the last Oswald show before bed.

HIM: Is it a new show I never saw before?

ME: I don't know.

HIM: (seriously thinking) Hmm. . .well, Daddy told me if I go to The Red Table I can't watch my shows on t.v. so, maybe next time.

My mouth was hanging open (as it usually does when I'm dealing with Mr. Four going on Forty) because I didn't know he had gone to The Red Table but I think mainly because he was being so "compliant".

Another "punishment" for going to The Red Table was to write I will not go to the red table (actually the word "the" was left off by dad) on a full sheet of paper. When I got home from work he was all excited because he was writing "I will not got to red table" and he was making such perfect letters.

So, bottom line he tries his best (according to him) not to go to The Red Table but the wicked forces at work in his preschool class are often against him so he just accepts his fate and takes his sentence like a four year old.

My Son the Klepto

(I was supposed to post this yesterday but between the exorcism and intervention I was a little busy!)

Yesterday after having such a wonderful two hour session of ME TIME, I went to pick my son up from school. When we get in the car he is so excited to show me a toy in his pocket. I have never seen the toy before. Here's how the conversation goes:

Me: Where did you get that?

Him: School.

Me: Did your teacher tell you that you could bring that home.

Him: Yes.

Me: Which teacher?

Him: Miss S

Me: Let me go ask her.

Him: NO!! (As he cowers on the floor of the back seat in the car)

So, I proceed to peel him from the floor and march back in the school to ask the teacher if she in fact said he could take the toy home. Of course, she had NOT. I made him put the toy back in the toy box and yanked him out of the classroom.

I chastised him all the way home about the evils of stealing and how one day he could end up in jail for taking stuff that doesn't belong to him. At the end of my ranting he says, "I should have just asked," DUH! I was still so disgusted- wait let me back up- did I mention this was NOT the first time he's done this?! This is like the second time he's been caught. Anyway, when we got home I swatted his butt a couple of times (so light he probably didn't even know it happened) and then I made him go to his room. He acted as if he were a dead man walking and started crying uncontrollably.

After listening to him for ten minutes I went upstairs and gave him a stern talking to. This little boy is honestly- SPOILED. He has gotten pretty much whatever he's wanted in his short time on Earth and I don't even want to get into the insane amount of stuff he gets from family every Christmas. There are toys that are unopened that I've hidden from him! There is absolutely, positively NO REASON whatsoever for him to be taking stuff that does not belong to him! My dilemma now is sharing this news with his father. . .he might have to put on an orange jumpsuit!

I've heard some people say that this is typical for this age or that it's harmless but I'm sorry I can't treat it that way. He needs to know in no uncertain terms that if he even THINKS about doing this again life as he knows it will change drastically. I swear on everything I will box up ALL his toys and give them away to a shelter! First comes stealing, then smoking cigarettes, gambling and making homemade bombs in his room! This madness must be nipped in the bud now!

I think what it boils down to is feeling like he can have whatever he wants because this has -to some degree-been his reality. . .well, reality is about to get checked!


Disclaimer: That picture is at 7 months old. . .in 2004.