Jailbait

I took Bay straight to Kid Jail.Ok,no not really but close enough.Gasp,right?I do not play around with idol threats to my girls.I'm a tough momma for sure.But I am in love with my girls too.It's a tough job but I do it best as I can. As I sifted through photo's to post here,I laughed at some of Bay's expressions .So fitting with that mischievous grin plastered on her sweet mug.Well like a I mentioned weeks ago,I have been dealing with a kleptomaniac.Hi,my name is Zoe and my 5 year old is a klepto,can you help me please?After going through a total humiliating experience with my youngest recently,I knew what I had to do.Kid Jail it was!She was taking things,she told me, because she liked them.Really kid? Your room looks like the pretend dress up/Barbie/American girl doll rows at ToysRUs threw up in it.You want for nothing.So I loosely threatened taking her to the police station if she decided to steal again.

Well apparently she wanted to see if I was fo real...And I am.So to the Seaside Police station we went after school one day.One this particular day she decided to smuggle some classmates lunch under her sleeping mat during nap time.So I had to follow through.Carys came along for the ride.I can't tell you what she was thinking but I was hoping I wasn't setting myself up for some Dr.Phil moment 25 yrs from now.Like I damaged her in some way by doing this.I quieted those thoughts and walked into the police station.One child sobbing, the other casually eating an apple.As we approached the counter, the woman behind the glass glanced down at Bay,whose was crying.The woman buckled her lip down and said,Awwwwww as she saw her tears. I said No No, can we speak to a police officer please maam? We need to have a talking to about Stealing.She quickly collected herself,smiled,nodded and said Absolutely!I knew I was supported right then and there.I mean,I pay taxes so I should be able to get my own personal police officer for 10 minutes right? She came around and asked Bay to please be seated and a police officer would be right out.Bay found a seat in the station,sat down and cried as quietly as she could,head down. Now, you must know, at this point I am totally freaking out.Questioning my goal in all of this.Am I wrong? Am I being to serious? Will I damage her in some way later in life for this? Will I be forced to pay for her adult thearpy for this? Questions flooded my thoughts.So I prayed.There is not much else you can do in such helplessness. Prayed that the lesson here would be something she understood.Prayed that she would know how much I truly loved her through all of this.Prayed for the lesson to be learned.And as funny as this prayer is to say/write aloud, I honestly prayed for the police officer who would be talking with her to look and speak like her daddy.The reason: Because Bay and Carys' daddy is in absolute love with his girls.Speaks kindly yet firm.A talent or gift rather I do not possess.I wanted someone that wouldn't totally freak her out and possibly make her pass out.

So who walks through the door 5 minutes later....If Sam were a cop, this is what he would look like in uniform.It was classic.I think I evened laughed a little when I saw this man walk up to us.Crazy the things God does sometimes.He got down on one knee,introduced himself to Bay and myself.Asked us what was going on.I filled him in on the details of stealing and he took it from there.He told Bay about his little girl,who was her age.Talked about why she was taking things that didn't belong to her.What would happen if she kept doing those things.He was kind and gentle, yet firm and authoritive.He could not have been more perfect for this situation.As he spoke I insisted that she look at him in the eyes.She did, tears streaming down.I sat next to Bay the entire time, rubbing her back and holding her hand. I wanted her to know I would love her through this.But I needed back up this time,no pun intended.

We left the police station that day.I'm sure all of our thoughts were all over the place.But I hope the lesson was bigger than the consequence that happened. I want my girls to know I mean business.I want them to know I love them so much, I will do most anything to prove it. I want them to respect others property and honor others.As we got back in the car,I cried.Hard and long.That had drained my spirit.The girls listened quietly from the back as I sobbed on the steering wheel.I collected myself and emotion and left it there,in that parking lot.I wanted it to be done.Forgiven and forgotten.The girls needed that too.Closure.

We have had no other stealing cases since.I believe that what I did was what needed be done.Bay has an awareness now of the concept of stealing and the consequences that follow now.But at the end of the day, what she knows most of all, is that she is loved.