David said “It’s your fault dad, for not helping me be honest.”
And he still claims he is innocent, and the mentor is lying.
About what? Yeah, I guess that would be helpful to know.
When David got home last night from his mentor time, he had a basketball. Said that the mentor let him buy it with his flex funds. (Typically, by the end of the month the flex funds are gone.) At any rate, David said that the ball cost 70 dollars.
So I confirmed all of this with the Mentor Coordinator who followed up with the mentor.
David has mentors two times a week. Yesterday he was with his mentor at the YMCA. Toward the end of their time together, David said he was hungry and demanded to go to McDonalds. The mentor refused. They had already spent the day’s allotted funds on food. So David took off running. Out of the building. The mentor, basketball in hand chased after him.
The ball isn’t ours. Or the mentor’s. it belongs to the YMCA.
David, is adamant that every one is lying. I told him when he decides he can be honest, he would have consequences, and then we would move forward. So he said he would lie, and tell me that the ball wasn’t his. Asked what his punishment was. Grounded. for the day.
So, he started with a long diatribe about how it was 72 degrees outside, and there would never be another nice day like it again. Wanted to know what he could do.
I said, there is always your Nintendo DS. Nope. he erased all of his data from the DS, then threw the game cartridges in the kitchen garbage.
That is when he said, “It’s your fault dad, for not helping me be honest.”
I am trying. David, I am really trying.
Shortly after, he wanted to call the Sheriff to talk to them about how everyone was lying. I told him that was fine, but that we could also have him charged with theft. For stealing the basketball from his mentor.
Another lecture about how I couldn’t do that, because it was against the law.
Oh, and he said he wants to be a Police Officer.
Today happens to be his mom’s birthday. I talked to her about this all before I said anything to David about it. I said, “you know, if I say something to him, your birthday isn’t going to be much fun…”
She understands, but also said “he needs to be accountable.”
So, I am trying David, but honesty has to come from within. I can’t force you to be honest. It isn’t that easy.