He declared he was taking a pocket knife for killing animals. I reminded him that he wasn’t the owner of the pocket knife, and he wasn’t allowed to use it. He paused for a moment, then asked my permission to take a butter knife. I conceded. “Take some food,” big brother yelled, from experience. He put a granola bar in his pocket. Dad offered up 50 cents and with butter knife in hand he was ready to go. My video camera rolled as he gave each of us a hug and walked out (looking back to make sure we were still watching.) I continued to follow his journey with the camera as he marched down the driveway. He was out of my camera range after a few minutes as he rounded the end of the driveway, but soon returned, announcing he was “running away the other way.” So he walked down the hill in the front yard to leave instead and soon was out of eye and camera sight again. A few minutes passed. My husband and I, not thinking the child would actually go through with it, started feeling a little nervous. We pondered his likely route, and felt chances were good that he walked to a nearby family friend’s house. I called them, but no one was home. Our panic level elevated. We left big brother to wait at home in case he returned there, and we started driving. It was quite possible that this often stubborn and defiant 6-year-old would see the car and run. Or hide. Or both. I spotted him standing at a stop sign half a mile from home. We cautiously approached with the window down. “Hey, where are you going?” he said casually. “I want to go with you.” Knowing the “we were coming to find you” truth wasn’t my best play at that moment, I instead answered, “We’re going to buy a newspaper.”
He bought my line, jumped right in, and we drove to the convenience store to buy a newspaper on a normal Sunday afternoon. And on the way home when asked if I was still the “Meanest Mom in the World,” he shrugged and said, “No, more like “Middle Mean.””
HV
Kathy Schroeder Kathy Schroeder lives in the Brainerd lakes area and enjoys laughing with her kids every day.
SUMMER 2011 | her voice
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4/14/11 9:58 AM