On my Honor, I will try...
Those who have been following the (mis) adventures of Wee Hob know he's had his ups and downs of late. Today marked a turning point for him. He went back to school after spring break, and as we'd worked out and agreed with his therapist, he got a Clean Slate-- still some reasonable restrictions for a 12 year old, but all his privileges back. Mom trusts him again (well, trust, but Verify, I say. To myself.) He knows he needs to not blow it again here.
One of his lost privileges was Boy Scouts. So, with 2 weeks to their annual fundraiser dinner (anybody want to donate canned goods? Buy a ticket? It's a great deal. Except, you know, for the transatlantic flight some of you would have to book to get here.....) we're back at the meeting tonight. Which meant-- Scoutmaster Conference, at which Wee Hob had to be a man and own up to what he'd done and see if Scoutmaster would have him back in the troop.
In the interim between the original grounding and now, the troop changed Scoutmasters, and the jovial but somewhat ineffectual scoutmaster was replaced by a gruff, good ol' boy drill sergeant of a man. So I pulled Mr. W aside, and our advancement chair Ms. P, who is a lifelong scouter and also has been a district commissioner for years. She's a lovely older woman who is much beloved by all the boys-- tough, but kind and fair.
I told them briefly, Wee Hob was grounded for serious misbehavior, and gave them a background of the meds issue, which some of you identified even back in the fall as being a problem. That seems to have worked itself out in this latest meds change-- Concerta rocks. I said clearly in front of him (as his therapist and I have said to him in private) that the meds issue may explain some of this, but it in no way excuses it. So, having said my very short piece, I left him to his fate.
Later I talked with Ms. P and from Mr. W about what he said, and they both told me they were impressed with his courage in owning up to his faults. He was sincerely contrite, almost in tears, and he told me on the way home that he knew now he never wanted to make either of them ashamed of him again with his behavior. And he got some good advice and things to think about. Both are completely supportive of his staying with the troop and will be pulling for him, for us. And he was very happy to see all his buddies again.
So I am proud of my small Boy Scout, who did a hard thing tonight and a little bit of growing up. And I am grateful to the people around me, in my real and virtual worlds, who support us, give good advice and hugs, and generally are there when I'm sure I'm completely blowing this whole parenting gig. Thanks, you guys.
One of his lost privileges was Boy Scouts. So, with 2 weeks to their annual fundraiser dinner (anybody want to donate canned goods? Buy a ticket? It's a great deal. Except, you know, for the transatlantic flight some of you would have to book to get here.....) we're back at the meeting tonight. Which meant-- Scoutmaster Conference, at which Wee Hob had to be a man and own up to what he'd done and see if Scoutmaster would have him back in the troop.
In the interim between the original grounding and now, the troop changed Scoutmasters, and the jovial but somewhat ineffectual scoutmaster was replaced by a gruff, good ol' boy drill sergeant of a man. So I pulled Mr. W aside, and our advancement chair Ms. P, who is a lifelong scouter and also has been a district commissioner for years. She's a lovely older woman who is much beloved by all the boys-- tough, but kind and fair.
I told them briefly, Wee Hob was grounded for serious misbehavior, and gave them a background of the meds issue, which some of you identified even back in the fall as being a problem. That seems to have worked itself out in this latest meds change-- Concerta rocks. I said clearly in front of him (as his therapist and I have said to him in private) that the meds issue may explain some of this, but it in no way excuses it. So, having said my very short piece, I left him to his fate.
Later I talked with Ms. P and from Mr. W about what he said, and they both told me they were impressed with his courage in owning up to his faults. He was sincerely contrite, almost in tears, and he told me on the way home that he knew now he never wanted to make either of them ashamed of him again with his behavior. And he got some good advice and things to think about. Both are completely supportive of his staying with the troop and will be pulling for him, for us. And he was very happy to see all his buddies again.
So I am proud of my small Boy Scout, who did a hard thing tonight and a little bit of growing up. And I am grateful to the people around me, in my real and virtual worlds, who support us, give good advice and hugs, and generally are there when I'm sure I'm completely blowing this whole parenting gig. Thanks, you guys.