GOOD COP/ BAD COP

Last week, McKenna went over to her little friends house. Her friend, Katilyn, is having a rough time right now because her parents are getting a divorce (whole other story) anyway, Kenna was a little nervous to go over there but I just told her to come home whenever she wanted and I'd be home.

It had been about 45 minutes when she came bursting through the door with tears in her eyes and fear on her face! I asked what was wrong. She then proceeded to tell me that her and Kaitlyn had been playing when the door bell rang. They both ran to see who it was - when they opened the door they saw this:


Well, not THIS cop exactly...so, I got nervous for a split second at this point of the story because I thought, "oh no, the ex-husband must have come over and the couple got in a fight etc..." and I was about to reach for the phone but decided I ought to question Kenna a bit more. I asked her why the policeman had come over and why she was scared. She then told me that as soon as she saw him, she ran to Kaitlyn's room and started to cry - afraid the cop was going to take her to jail!! I couldn't figure out why she would think that until....

Rewind a year or so ago - McKenna and Harrison were now in their own booster seats and sometimes would not put on their seat belts. Me, being a very smart mother, told them that if they did not put on their seat belts and we were to get pulled over by a cop, then I would get taken to jail ( I thought it best to use the scariest consequence possible).

Since this brilliant conversation with my kids, they have some how been under the impression that policemen are BAD...even when we have discussed strangers and getting lost...I've told them they can talk to a policeman in uniform if they are ever lost or feel scared. I remember Harrison then asking, "how will I know if it's a good policeman or a bad one?!?"

My mind then turned back to my little Kenna still trying to calm down and me having to explain to her that policemen only take grown-ups to jail - never kids - (unless the kids are really bad...wait, I shouldn't have told her that either!!!) Then, the phone rings and it's Kaitlyns mom asking if everthing is o.k. and I had to explain my guilt to her for scaring my children into wearing their seatbelts... the policeman ended up being the mother's friend and was just coming over for dinner. I can only imagine what thoughts went through her and the cops mind as Kenna fled the "scene" as soon as possible!


Oh, what fun it is to raise children and always have them remember the wrong parts of the "learning lesson"...so, how have you all damaged your children?!?