Monday, December 15, 2008

ThE uP aNd DoWn AdVeNtUrE oF pArEnTiNg!!!!

HELP!
As if lying isn't bad enough (see my post from October entitled "What Day is Today?" ), now my precious, challenging daughter has taken up shoplifting! AArrggghhhh!!!!!!!!

Scott took dear, sweet, I-don't-always-know-what-to-do-with-her Natalie to get her haircut on Friday afternoon. Today is Monday. I was gone this morning to my 2-wk checkup after Daniel's birth (Can you believe that baby is already 15 days old??!!!!), and while I was gone, my hard-working mama was catching up our laundry.

Apparently, she discovered a chapstick in the dryer---thankfully, the lid did NOT come off, but the chapstick was obviously melted, so she put it in the fridge to re-harden. When Scott saw it in the fridge, he questioned aloud why it was there, and to whom did it belong? Natalie claimed it, but from my seat nursing the baby across the room, I did not recognize it as 'ours' (most all of our chapsticks are Carmex, with red lids, and this one was not!). I asked her to let me see it, and then I realized the ugly truth: it had a "Great Clips" logo on it, and I immediately deduced the situation. After much giggling and blushing, Natalie admitted to pocketing the chapstick while she was there on Friday. (Giggling?? GIGGLING??? My daughter steals AND finds it amusing?? GULP!).

Help! This precocious and precious daughter of ours grows ever more challenging. I have already put a call in to the manager at Great Clips, who knows us by name from my monthly trips there with my shaggy brood and our 15 passenger van, HA! I requested that she make a Big Deal out of the situation to dear Natalie Ruth, so she will NOT repeat this behaviour......we will be returning to the shop tomorrow so Natalie can admit her sin, pay for the chapstick, and ask for forgiveness from the manager.

....sigh.
I feel like I take two steps forward and three steps backwards in my parenting of this sweet daughter! I want so badly to channel this bold, adventurous spirit that she has, because I know she is destined to be a leader and a "mover and shaker" in the Kingdom of God.....
HELP!
Further updates after our trip to Great Clips tomorrow! :) Prayers appreciated!

4 comments:

Christina said...

Will definitely be praying for ya!

Unknown said...

Let me guess.....5 or 6 yrs old? All my kids did it but my son did it more than once. We always went back to the store and made them admit to a worker what they did and apologize. The workers didnt say much as I recall, but to this day they remember and it put a stop to it. Just that my son had to do it twice. 5-6 is the age of stealing and lying. It is a time for teaching. She isnt a bad kid, she is just checking out the boundaries. Somehow, the most difficult of children grow into the most amazing adults. Keep the faith gal! One foot in front of the other in this amazing journey of guiding little people down the path. Kim

Naomi said...

my, how brave children can be... I am glad that it turned out well... oh, and very glad your laundry was ok! You are doing a great job mothering your adorable children! Thanks for sharing your funny stories...

see you tomorrow!

Flea said...

I think over half of the populations kids do try and pinch things, if not from a shop its candy at home when mum said not before dinner. At least she's normal LOL.