Sweet Guilt

I have a fun trick or treating plan for our indoor pandemic Halloween. But I needed the Batman mask and couldn’t find it. I was hunting all over the house for it when I looked under Charlie’s bed.

It was dark and I wasn’t sure if I was really seeing what I was seeing. I looked then looked closer. I pulled out the flashlight and my first glance was correct: dozens of candy and snack wrappers piled under Chuck’s bed. Shoved out of sight hoping to be swallowed up, magically lost forever and forgotten. 

How long had this been here? Did he eat all these on his own? He knows we don’t eat in bedrooms. Where did all this come from? I was prepared to ask all those questions as soon as Mr. Charlie got home from school.

After he got cleaned up and put his pack away I told him to meet me upstairs so I could show him what i discovered. He ran up excited but got nervous when I my face didn’t match his excitement. I told him about looking for the Batman mask and how I searched under his bed. His eyes got big. He knew his treat thieving trickery days were over. 

I stayed calm and looked at him with soft eyes. I asked him to pull all the wrappers out and gave him a garbage can to put them in. I had to lift up the bed for him to reach them all. There were way more than I thought! When he was done he looked so sad. I carefully questioned him. He answered sheepishly at first then began to tear up and spoke faster with each excuse until he broke into apologetic sobs: “I’ve been doing it since last month... I got em from daddy’s snacks In your closet... he just leaves the bags open and I see them and want some cuz I’m SO hungry mommy! I’m so hungry all the tiiime... ahhh I’m sorryyyy!!”

I picked him up and hugged him, because he needed a hug. And cuz I didn’t want him to see me trying not to laugh. 

This boy is such a good hearted kid. Of course he took candy... 2 a day, at least, for the last month... cuz he’s a little kid. I wasn’t mad but I made sure to use the opportunity to teach him about stealing and hiding mistakes. I assured him that he just needs to ask and daddy will share. We knew he was going to feel so guilty so I was sure to be gentle in my reproach. 

But this pile of candy wrappers and him saying he’s “so hungry all the time” is going to make me laugh for years to come!

Ahh parenthood is fun. It really is.