Friday, February 25, 2011

The Walk of Shame


I wish this post was a reminiscence of a drunken college night. I would much rather be posting a picture of me walking back to my dorm wearing the same clothes I had on the night before. Instead it's a different fall from grace. A dose of reality.

Today the Little Ballerina got suspended from the bus for the day. It seems she spit at someone. I have no idea why she would do something like this. I have never seen her hock a looey. I don't know that she knows how. But she will stick her tongue out and blow. Whatever she did. It's disgusting. And embarrassing. 

So today I walked to the school when it was over to retrieve her.

"Why didn't you bring the car?" she asked.

"Because you don't get the privilege of riding in any vehicle. You can walk home."


And so she did. She didn't complain. She didn't whine. She didn't cry. She carried her backpack and her special crystal in a cup that she was so proud of. The whole way home.

I told her if anything like this happens again she will walk home carrying a sign that says, "I can't ride the bus because I spit on people." And the next day on the bus she will wear a sign that says, "Don't sit next to me because I spit."

She didn't have dessert tonight. She is not going to her best friend's birthday party tomorrow.

I sure hope this makes a difference. If not, I'm going to have some killer legs come summertime.

Just keepin' it real, folks.

Now excuse me while I drown my sorrows in a box of Thin Mints and a bucket of Diet Coke.

28 comments:

Lorri said...

Oh, no. As a first grade teacher, let me say this. It happens. Even to the BEST of the littles ones. I think her punishment was perfect. I bet you won't have to deal with this ever again. Look on the bright side......... At least she didn't bite! :)

Amy @ Lucky Number 13 said...

okay, so this isn't funny but the walk of shame part is and what comes to mind reminiscing of my own college days : ) man, doesn't it suck having to be the parent sometimes? i hate having to follow through with tough punishments but you handled it really well! you are a good mama!

Amy said...

I agree with the other Amy - being a parent SUCKS sometimes. I hate the discipline part!

My friend has a little boy who got kicked off the bus. She did the same thing and was pulled over by a police officer because she was following her boy while he walked home. His punishment was for a week (he was a stinker - a month would have been justified)instead of just a day. The rest of the week he had to wear a sign that said that he was kicked off the bus and his mom was the one in the SUV following him.

Jennifer Thompson said...

With any luck the punishment will be enough and she has learned her lesson. Good for you with sticking to it. Enjoy your Thin Mints and Diet Coke! :)

kim {the non-mom blogger} said...

OMG you are AWESOME.

I need to keep these in the back pocket of my mom jeans.

Dani said...

Good job, mommy. I like your style.

Bridget said...

When my sister was little, she threw a piece of gum onto the ground. My mom made her go and pick it up. Other people were watching, and she was embarrassed and cried, but she did it. It was a lesson she will never forget, and I bet the Little Ballerina won't either. Sometimes the punishments that are the toughest ones for parents to give are the ones that have the most impact. Good job Mom!

Hmmmm...thin mints...I've got a couple of boxes of those and a Diet Coke...and crap, now I want them...

My Interior Life said...

You're not alone and you did a great job. I think sometimes it's hardest for me to just remember that they are their own little people who make mistakes (just like I do all day). It's hard growing up, but it's even harder parenting those little darlings.

Enjoy your Thin Mints & DC. I would've gone for something stronger. :)

Kerri said...

You are so funny Kim...I can't believe you brought your camera with you to pick LB up!
Being a parent is so hard sometimes...especially the discipline part. Remember when our parents said...this is going to hurt me more than you? So true. I am feeling for her having to miss the birthday party. :(

Kristin said...

I love the symbolism of the bus in the background passing Little Ballerina by. She does look quite determined in the picture, so I dare say you have your hands full, but it sounds like you have a great handle on the situation and I applaud the way you handled this. You are a good mama and even though she doesn't appreciate it now, she will thank you later for it.

Andrea @ little buckles said...

Oh dear, you did well with your decision I have to say. I wouldn't dare spit again! The nicest children pick up bad habits in my opinion. My little one does from other children at school and it's hard to know what to do - it's a hard job this parent business. xx

sloan said...

oh nooooooo! :-(
i agree with everyone else that the discipline part of this deal is incredibly hard - what a great job you did, i'm so impressed! Fighting my natural tendency to be a softie is tough in situations like these (b/c YES, we've ALL been there!) ... hope you treated yourself to more than just a few thin mints!

ps - thx for the email, I totally understand how you did it now - even with your tricks revealed, it's still amazing! i'll write u back later this weekend ...

Gabe said...

way to go sista! way to stick to your guns and make a point. Of course, if she is anything like some of mine, it may not be your last walk of shame. . .but I think you made your point!

You probably deserved something stronger than diet coke!

Anonymous said...

Nice going, Mom. Proud of you. And, based on her reaction, she knew you were doing the right thing.

Did you ever get to the bottom of what happened? Just curious.

Anonymous said...

Good for you! Way to stick to it! I bet she'll always remember it. As hard as it is to punish, it's our job as parents.

What a great picture with the bus in the background.

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

Ha! We all did stupid things as kids with absolutely no explanation. I stole bubble gum from the local store and my dad made me take it back. I was SO embarrassed. I knew I was in the wrong.

Although I am not a parent, I think the punishments are way harder for the parents than they are for the kids! But you did the right thing. She will learn not to do things like that.

Pam said...

She will NEVER forget this and will most likely never spit again! Someday you'll all laugh at this. Man I love Thin Mints.

Cathy M~(checkitoff) said...

what a good mommy you are Kim! perfect punishment! and cute photos!! hugs, cathy

Kristi said...

Yes, good Mommy award! I think you definitely made your point. I don't even think I would have thought about that! I'm impressed and the pictures are priceless! Let's hope that she learned her lesson but if she didn't, those legs will be looking good!

jen said...

I scrolled through your comments, after being sent over here from Cindy's blog, and I see we hang with the same crowd, yet we've never been introduced. Hi. I'm Jen. Love your photography. Love your blog. Adding you to my blog roll.
And as for spitting. Wow. Glad there are still other strict parents out there.
Nice to meet you.

Jen said...

I could learn a ton from you!
I bet she will never do it again...ever!
I hope you dont have too far to walk!

Jess said...

oh my goodness!! what a lesson!!! you are such a great mom...it is the hardest job in the world!!! thanks for keepin it real!!!

Run Lori Run said...

Parenting aint for sissies. You did good.

And I bet it won't happen again! :)

Jessica B said...

You know, I think the punishement definitely fit the crime.

It really bothers me when parents turn a blind eye when their child makes a mistake or misbehaves -- I call that the "not my child" method of parenting.

I think all of those mistakes or incidents of misbehavior are perfect learning experiences for our children!

I sure bet she will remember this when she grows up!

Fantastic pictures, by the way. :)

Laura- That Kind of Mom said...

I will never forget this, what a great way of dealing with the situation. Seriously, A+!

And the pictures are beautiful, too. I wonder how she'll feel when she see them later on in life...it kinda makes me giggle.

erin said...

Yeah, parenting is tough! So hard to follow through on discipline, but good. I've been talking to my husband recently about discipline and boundaries. Seems my kiddos think they can run all around Panera and squeal while I am ordering the food. Yikes!

Nicolle said...

Hi friend! Just checking in on you to make sure you are doing ok! I've missed chatting with you! Hope all is well. :)

Bring Pretty Back said...

Kim, I am goin to say this is one of the BEST BEST BEST blog posts I have ever read in my entire life!!!Now THAT is good parenting!
Kristin