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Serious parenting tweet incoming.
The boy had his heart broken. We went to the store for some things for the house. He'd just gotten his allowance, but when we get up to the register, lil dude puts 3 of his 5 bucks in the little box for the local food bank.
The boy had his heart broken. We went to the store for some things for the house. He'd just gotten his allowance, but when we get up to the register, lil dude puts 3 of his 5 bucks in the little box for the local food bank.
I have better kids than I deserve. So we finish up at checkout, head out to the truck. I'm loading stuff in, and this gal bout mid 30s rolls up on a skateboard with her mutt.
"Hey, you have like, 85 cents I can have? I'm a little short for some ice cream."
"Hey, you have like, 85 cents I can have? I'm a little short for some ice cream."
Those of you like me are familiar with this game. I don't carry cash, but as I'm loading stuff in I ask my son if he's got a buck to give her. Keep in mind, I know where this is going, and I'm already sad about how this is going to go.
Lil dude gives her his last two bucks.
Lil dude gives her his last two bucks.
Again, better kids than I deserve. She says aw, and thanks, and skates off toward the store. Lil dude puts the cart away for me. We head out of the parking lot, and as we cruise by the storefront we see our gal heading back into the parking lot.
She had just been talking with two guys there, and one of them did indeed have an ice cream. Who knows. All my son sees is this gal heading back into the parkin lot to the next family loading up.
His voice goes up a coupe octaves. "Did she even go in? She didn't get ice cream?"
His voice goes up a coupe octaves. "Did she even go in? She didn't get ice cream?"
"No bud, doesn't look like it."
He's quiet for a minute, then starts sobbin a bit. I, of course, am a bit crushed, but that's watching your kids grow.
After a minute I ask if he wants to talk about it. He wipes his eyes and nods.
He's quiet for a minute, then starts sobbin a bit. I, of course, am a bit crushed, but that's watching your kids grow.
After a minute I ask if he wants to talk about it. He wipes his eyes and nods.
"Ok bud. How do you feel about what happened?"
Well, he's upset. See, he likes ice cream. I get that. So he wanted her to have ice cream. "Everyone should have ice cream" he says. He wants to know why she lied. I don't have answers for that.
Well, he's upset. See, he likes ice cream. I get that. So he wanted her to have ice cream. "Everyone should have ice cream" he says. He wants to know why she lied. I don't have answers for that.
"I would have given her the money anyway, why'd she lie?" I tell him that sometimes folks that need or want money feel like a story makes it easier for you to give. And then I tell him you can never listen to the story.
The story is irrelevant. You need to decide in the moment if you are willing to give money. Regardless of whether it will go to food or drugs or whoopee cushions, whatever. It doesn't matter. Because we do ok, right bud? "Yeah."
And she looked like she's havin a bit of a rough go right now, yeah? "Yeah." So. She might need the money for something else and is embarrassed to say. We don't know. We don't get to know. But we're doin ok, and this other human isn't. So it doesn't matter what the story is.
Even if you feel like you were scammed or some such, you need to understand there are all kinds of people out there that need our help. If you start holding that money because a couple people have burned you, someone that desperately needs it may go without. And that's wrong.
He thinks it over and nods. "I'm not upset about the money dad. I just wish she hadn't lied to me. But I understand. I hope she's ok."
Better kids than I deserve.
Better kids than I deserve.
