Mr. Skipper: A Logan Story

I know that my teenager is going to screw up. I know he is going to test the boundaries. I accept that and expect it. But I would like to think that the child will at least have some common sense a long the way and try not to get caught. Apparently my expectations were slightly high. This is my own fault considering he tried to break into a snack machine with a plastic fork.

So Friday, Logan had asked to have his girlfriend over. That is fine, she is a sweet girl and Logan had been good.

About 10am that morning I got an email from his teacher. Great, I dreaded opening it. My instincts were right.

"Logan skipped my class yesterday. I referred him for administrative discipline. Please address this at home."

Now I skipped many times when I was a teenager. But I am a hypocrite and I thrive on it. I had all day to consider out my punishment strategy.

He got home and I was outside, when I came in he and his girlfriend was sitting down looking at me with a look off anticipation.

"Mom, I know you know what I did," Logan told me.

Trying to control myself, "Alright, what happened."

"Lunch was over and I was in the gym with my friends. We were playing two-on-two and when the bell rang I had to stay because then it would be an uneven number. So I stayed and played basketball and my teacher's assistant for that class walked by the gym and I waved and smiled."

I looked at Logan's girlfriend and said matter-of-factly, "You are dating the dumbest guy at Freeman."

She shook her head and said, "I know."

"You're lucky your father is not here to deal with this, go into the other room so I can think about your punishment. Oh and why did you skip study call, aren't you behind?"

"We are not suppose to work on that classes work there," now I know he is lying.

So I calmed down and text my friends who had been waiting to find out what class her skipped. I came up with his punishment.

I walked back to where he was, "Here is the deal, you have a choice. You can give up your XBox until you serve your detention at school OR I can take your girlfriend home and you will not be allowed to see her until your detention is served. Your choice."

"Well of course, I will take the XBox suspension."

"Remember, it is suppose to snow Tuesday(his day of detention) and you are going to be stuck in the house without video game privileges."

"I know, I will still give up the XBox."

So that was his punishment, later that night I was dropping his girlfriend off and I was telling her mom all about it.  Out of the corner of the room, her husband said, "I know two other woman in this room who skipped a few classes in their date."

I said, "This is true, but my middle name is hypocrite."