Friday, January 14, 2011

A parenting conundrum

So take this 'totally hypothetical situation' and tell me what you would do.  Let's pretend that your 13 year old son came home from ski club last night in 13 degree weather.  And this same son told you that when they had arrived at the slopes earlier in the evening he found out his friend had forgotten a stocking cap, so he let his friend have his while he went without one for 4 hours of skiing.  Would you:

  1. Praise him for seeing a friend in need and meeting that need. 
  2. Punish him for being an idiot.
  3. Mumble something under your breath in total confusion at the moral dilemma and kiss him goodnight. 
For the record, I did #3.  I'm a horrible father. 

4 comments:

Tim said...

I'd ask him if he understood the risk of getting sick. Then tell him that he has to deal with the result of getting sick if it happens, but pray that God blesses him for what he did and he won't get sick. So I guess #1 and #3 haha

Lisa B. Minn said...

Derek, the fact that you recognize a moral conundrum makes you a great father! For the record, if I had a kid and that kid had my hair... I wouldn't worry about them a bit. Some of us are blessed with our own built-in winter caps :)

Barb said...

I think you did the right thing. I would've harped on the getting sick thing, which wouldn't be the best thing. You are a good father. (I mean it's not like being a good father was you only goal in life ;) )

Carol L, Minn said...

Your son is a generous soul!! He won't get sick...as that is not how we get sick, but he could have gotten frost bite. A little discussion of how to protect against the elements and maybe next time they will share the hat, alternating trips down the slopes with the hat on/hat off :-)