Caleb is 3. Caleb wants to be older. Caleb wishes he could do everything his siblings do. Caleb doesn't always make decisions based on the principles of sound reasoning and judgement. I knew all of these things, yet, when he said to me, "Mom, I'm going to the store!" I replied, "Okay, Caleb, have a good time!" and watched as we walked out the front door and closed it behind him. Typically, I would expect him to return within 30 seconds, so I went on with my afternoon. Time passed. I became distracted with making dinner, listening to the details of Kirsten's dramatically dramatic 7th grade day, & enjoying relative peace (Seth was at Scouts, Emma at Dance, & Rob was at Huntington with his dad). Suddenly, I was hit hard by the sickening feeling that Caleb was NOT in the house. I immediately ran out the door, yelling behind me at Kirsten to start looking for him. I ran out of our cul-de-sac onto the main street and saw, about 2 blocks away, a teenage girl from our neighborhood walking with Caleb towards our house. Did I mention it was snowing? And that Caleb wasn't wearing a coat? As I got closer to them, I noticed the snowflakes on Caleb's eyelashes and hair. A few frantic questions later, the following scenario was laid out for me: Taylor was in her office on the computer & looked outside to see Caleb walking on the sidewalk towards the exit of the subdivision. Noticing that he was alone, she had the good sense to go outside & halt his progress. She asked him where he was going. He replied that he was going to the store. She asked why. He told her, matter-of-factly, that he was going to buy some underwear (have I mentioned our failed attempts to potty-train him?) and a Mommy movie. Needless to say, Caleb has since been on the receiving end of several talks about going to the store (or anywhere else!) without someone else. I have kicked myself repeatedly for essentially encouraging him to go, but I have also thanked Heavenly Father repeatedly that Taylor looked out the window at precisely the right time.
3 comments:
What a blessing Taylor is and what a blessing that she had the thought to go out and talk to him. There are lots of discussions we forget to have with our kids. Then again, if we did that, we would spend all of our time telling them what NOT to do. Don't get a knife to show to all of your friends as soon as mommy goes potty. Don't take a pocket knife to school. I could go on. Miss ya!
Oh, the joys of motherhood. At least he was planning to buy underwear.
You for sure are not the first mother to have her child walk away for some important errand. I'm so glad your neighbor was alert.
Alek tried to do a similar thing at the school playground and was just on his way out the gate to go home when a very nice grandmother caught him and kept him in. I of course felt totally guilty when I finally located him. What's that quote? It takes a community to raise a child?
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