mstang67chic
Going Green
difficult child is currently on probation but if you ask me why, I won't be able to tell you. It's been extended and ammended a few times so at this point I can only tell you the original reasons why. (Theft mainly) Before I ask my question, let me give you a little background.
We live in a small house with very, very limited usable storage. We have rearranged the house so that what was the living room is now basically a catch all/storage room. Stuff isn't just thrown in the room anywhere but it is still mainly for storage. Also, I'm definately NOT Martha Stewart or June Cleaver so my household organization isn't what it could be. Anywhoo... I've been looking for the digital camera for a few weeks now. There is a possibility it has been buried in my bedroom (waaaaay too much stuff locked in there to keep away from difficult child) but unless it's fallen behind something, it's not in there. husband and I plan on cleaning it out this weekend and I'm hoping to find it but I just have that gut feeling. We've also noticed that our video camera is missing. That too is possibly hidden somewhere but again, gut feeling. difficult child doesn't use drugs (this is one of the few things I am positive about) and has never stolen for malicious reasons. He just sees something he wants, doesn't think and just takes it. Sometimes it's to have it and sometimes it's to "make" stuff with. (never mind what because his creations are always the stupidest things that never make sense. I now own no curling irons because he cut the cords off to make something with them. No idea what he had in mind but he needed them. :slap: )
So, my question is this. (and I know it's kind of a stupid one because I've pretty much decided what needs to be done...... just wanted other's input) If husband and I do a thorough search and confirm that the cameras are indeed gone, should we call the probation officer? Would you? We've already asked difficult child and he denies any and all knowledge....no big surprise there. Of course he also has been known to lie more than he breathes so who knows. I just find it too much of a coincedence that his current fasination lately is digital cameras and now all of a sudden ours is missing. And of course, it will be all my fault because I forgot to lock it up. On a side note, I did a quick run through his room today and found a cell phone. (He does not have one) When I turned it on to see if I could figure out who it belonged to, the last name of friend's of ours popped up. I have confirmed that it is theirs and it's not connected to a service currently but it still has numbers stored in it. My friend says that as far as she knows, her husband did not give it to difficult child. Actually it's one of their old phones that they let their 2 year old play with. She thought that her husband had given it to my husband to see if he could do some sort of automatic transfer of the stored numbers to his new phone (husband works for their provider) but my husband said that hadn't happened. I'm thinking that difficult child saw our friend's boy playing with it when we were at their house and pocketed it. This is not the first time that he's taken something from them. These are also friends though, who don't quite get difficult child's issues. They tend to think he's not as bad with his behavior and antics as I say he is. Once my friend asks her husband tonight if he knows anything about difficult child having this phone, she is going to call me. I'm also thinking of calling the PO about this too. The problem with that though, is the last time I reported difficult child taking something from someone else's house, he wanted a statement from that person. I don't know if my friends would do this as it would more than likely get difficult child into even more trouble. It's not that they don't want difficult child to have consequences but they just don't get it. They think that "normal" consequences (extra chores, groundings...etc) are enough. She will look at this (and has already commented about it) as "it's an old phone that we don't use anyway, etc. and I don't know how serious she will take this. (the last time he stole from them he was caught before we left their house. he had actually gone into their room to watch tv with their permission, and took a couple of pocketfuls of change from their change bowl. not hard to miss as he jingled when he walked :hammer: ) I can understand the possible argument of it's just an old phone but we're talking about a kid who has been told/instructed repeatedly over the course of years that if it's not his, he can't have it/use it/borrow it without asking. He know's better even though we all know that knowing and doing are completely different.
Thoughts, opinions, comments, offers for me to come hide at your place for awhile?????
We live in a small house with very, very limited usable storage. We have rearranged the house so that what was the living room is now basically a catch all/storage room. Stuff isn't just thrown in the room anywhere but it is still mainly for storage. Also, I'm definately NOT Martha Stewart or June Cleaver so my household organization isn't what it could be. Anywhoo... I've been looking for the digital camera for a few weeks now. There is a possibility it has been buried in my bedroom (waaaaay too much stuff locked in there to keep away from difficult child) but unless it's fallen behind something, it's not in there. husband and I plan on cleaning it out this weekend and I'm hoping to find it but I just have that gut feeling. We've also noticed that our video camera is missing. That too is possibly hidden somewhere but again, gut feeling. difficult child doesn't use drugs (this is one of the few things I am positive about) and has never stolen for malicious reasons. He just sees something he wants, doesn't think and just takes it. Sometimes it's to have it and sometimes it's to "make" stuff with. (never mind what because his creations are always the stupidest things that never make sense. I now own no curling irons because he cut the cords off to make something with them. No idea what he had in mind but he needed them. :slap: )
So, my question is this. (and I know it's kind of a stupid one because I've pretty much decided what needs to be done...... just wanted other's input) If husband and I do a thorough search and confirm that the cameras are indeed gone, should we call the probation officer? Would you? We've already asked difficult child and he denies any and all knowledge....no big surprise there. Of course he also has been known to lie more than he breathes so who knows. I just find it too much of a coincedence that his current fasination lately is digital cameras and now all of a sudden ours is missing. And of course, it will be all my fault because I forgot to lock it up. On a side note, I did a quick run through his room today and found a cell phone. (He does not have one) When I turned it on to see if I could figure out who it belonged to, the last name of friend's of ours popped up. I have confirmed that it is theirs and it's not connected to a service currently but it still has numbers stored in it. My friend says that as far as she knows, her husband did not give it to difficult child. Actually it's one of their old phones that they let their 2 year old play with. She thought that her husband had given it to my husband to see if he could do some sort of automatic transfer of the stored numbers to his new phone (husband works for their provider) but my husband said that hadn't happened. I'm thinking that difficult child saw our friend's boy playing with it when we were at their house and pocketed it. This is not the first time that he's taken something from them. These are also friends though, who don't quite get difficult child's issues. They tend to think he's not as bad with his behavior and antics as I say he is. Once my friend asks her husband tonight if he knows anything about difficult child having this phone, she is going to call me. I'm also thinking of calling the PO about this too. The problem with that though, is the last time I reported difficult child taking something from someone else's house, he wanted a statement from that person. I don't know if my friends would do this as it would more than likely get difficult child into even more trouble. It's not that they don't want difficult child to have consequences but they just don't get it. They think that "normal" consequences (extra chores, groundings...etc) are enough. She will look at this (and has already commented about it) as "it's an old phone that we don't use anyway, etc. and I don't know how serious she will take this. (the last time he stole from them he was caught before we left their house. he had actually gone into their room to watch tv with their permission, and took a couple of pocketfuls of change from their change bowl. not hard to miss as he jingled when he walked :hammer: ) I can understand the possible argument of it's just an old phone but we're talking about a kid who has been told/instructed repeatedly over the course of years that if it's not his, he can't have it/use it/borrow it without asking. He know's better even though we all know that knowing and doing are completely different.
Thoughts, opinions, comments, offers for me to come hide at your place for awhile?????
