What Dads Do, continued

From a gentleman in the Midwest, via Glenn Sacks

After my wife left and gained custody of our son, he began getting into some trouble. When he was in fourth grade, I got wind that he and another boy convinced a third boy that, if he gave them some money, they could purchase some pornography. The third boy gave them five dollars, and needless to say, never heard from them again. Just prior to my next "visitation" with my son, I made some phone calls and discovered that the third boy and his mother were swimming at a public pool. When I picked up my son, I immediately informed him that we were going to the pool, and that he was going to apologize to the boy and his mother. He fussed, cried and tried to talk me out of it, but I informed him that when males make a mistake, they don't run and hide from it. They face it and try to make reparations. He cried all the way to the pool.

When we arrived at the pool, I called the third boy's mom on her cell phone (she and I had set this up beforehand), she and her son met us outside the pool and my son hung his head but got the words out so they could hear. We then repaid the five dollars. The other boy was quiet but the mom smiled and thanked both of us.

As soon as we got back into my car, I told my son that we are now going to get some ice cream. His spirits immediately soared and he became the usual active, bright-eyed son that I knew. I never brought up the subject again with him.

I don't really know how much effect this had on my son. He's now 21 and we've never talked about ithe episode, but I'd like to think that it kept him from getting into more trouble as he grew older.