A 6-Year-Old's Crime ... and Punishment

A 6-Year-Old's Crime ... and Punishment

Sunday, April 13, 2008

filed under: family

Mom•Logic editor-in-chief Sabrina Weill says: Our 6-year-old committed a school crime ... whose side should we be on?

The other day, we got an envelope from my son's first grade teacher addressed to us, his parents.

In the (sealed) envelope was a form titled "Progress Report" and under "incomplete" was written "book report" and next to "Parent Signature," in 6-year-old scratchy writing, was my son's name.

At the top was a sticky note in grown-up writing from his teacher. It said, "Please talk to your son about how extremely inappropriate it was for him to sign this paper."

We cornered our boy and talked about right and wrong, his crime and punishment. He showed remorse. The next day, I saw the form by the door. It was signed, with a new sticky note on top in grown-up, Dad-handwriting.

It said, "Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It is an ongoing problem. Last month he forged our signatures on a home equity line of credit."

While I thought this was hilarious ... my son has to be with this teacher for another 10 weeks until school's out, and she might not be amused. Do you think I took the note off like a Good Mom? What would you have done?

filed under: family

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funny husband. ha!

- cmj

Posted 04/13/08 03:06 PM

that note was fine. I am a teacher- I’d laugh my butt off if I got that. You spoke with your son. Life goes on. If that offends his teacher, she’s too uptight!

- Anonymous

Posted 04/13/08 03:33 PM

Oh MY that was funny! I would probably have left it on there, but I am also known far and wide by my middle name “Cute but Socially Inapproprate”. Probably why I homeschool ;)

- Beckie Tetrault

Posted 04/13/08 03:44 PM

What a hilarious Husband you have. I am sure it is perfectly fine :) the fact that you spoke with your son and he understands what he did then it should be A-OK (hee hee)

- Aurelia

Posted 04/13/08 08:11 PM

I would send it for sure!

- Anonymous

Posted 04/13/08 08:43 PM

I am also a teacher. I think your note back was hilarious. On your end, it’s important for your son to know that even if progress reports or report cards are bad, he can show them to you. A kid shouldn’t be afraid to show you where he messed up—he should know there are consequences for not completing work or trying his best, but not be so afraid of his parents that he can’t come clean. If the teacher is offended by your note… well, she’s just too uptight.

- Alecia

Posted 04/13/08 09:40 PM

You have a very funny husband. Send the note!

- Rosanne

Posted 04/13/08 09:41 PM

Sorry but i would be a little mad if my husband sent that note. Although i agree without a doubt it’s funny. one can’t always count on humor translating. Plus, forging notes could be a pretty serious problem as he gets older.

- Aerdna

Posted 04/13/08 10:34 PM

I forged a paper when I was in the first grade (years ago). We had to have just about every paper signed regardless of the grade ( I had a 100 on the paper ) I knew I would be in such trouble for forgetting, so I printed Tom very nicely on the top of my paper. I was in a catholic school and the nun I had just had a fit. She called my sister down ,from the 8th grade and asked her in front of me and my entire class if this was how my father signed his name. My sister, seeing that I was in tears, said “No, but it is very nice printing” !! I remember later my parents telling me not to sign their names any more.. But later them laughing about it when I wasn’t in the room.

- Diane

Posted 04/14/08 10:48 AM

I cheated on a test in fifth grade. Got caught. Got paddled. Never did it again. It seems to me that these parents are trying to raise a decent kid. Congratulations.

- JasonGoldtrap

Posted 04/14/08 11:57 AM

I can see my fiance’ doing something like this if we were in that situation, I agree the teacher is was too up-tight about the whole thing and it should have been handled a bit more lightly and then let go considering the age, it really wasn’t that major and what are the chances that this child is really going to became a problem child over this, however if it does happen again soon after the first one then yea, a bigger discipline measure may need taken.

- Peanut37

Posted 04/14/08 10:39 PM