I don’t know if it’s the fact that we’re in the holiday season, or is it that I’ve been distracted by my writing for the past month? This week, Alex has been quite the reluctant student.
I’ve tried everything from restricting privileges to bribing with candy to threatening to load him on the school bus. He’s just not motivated to do his math! Imagine, a child of mine….
Anyway, I was sharing my exasperation with our principal, Chuck, and he suggested that I hand the phone to Alex so they could have a chat.
“Hmmm. Okay. Yes. What? Oh, Okay. I guess so. I love you too. Bye, here’s mom.” Alex handed to phone back to me but the look on his face was very grave.
“What did you say to him?” I whispered as I slid out of earshot of the boys.
“I told him that even when daddy doesn’t feel like going to work, sometimes we just have to do it anyway and do it as well as if we were doing it for Jesus. I told him to pretend Jesus was at the house and Alex was working directly for him.”
“Oh, that explains why he looks so convicted.” I thought their discussion would solve the problem. If there’s one person Alex does not want to let down, it’s Jesus.
I hung up the phone and found Alex, still distraught, and said: “Hey, buddy. Let’s put the math away today and start tomorrow like we’re doing it for Jesus.”
“Jesus?” Alex asks through quivering lips.
“Yes, that’s what daddy told you, right; to work like you’re working for Jesus?”
“No, daddy said to work like I’m working for Cheez-Its. And I don’t like Cheez-Its, mom!”
I hope when Chuck has to explain the birds and the bees to our boys, it’s not over the phone line.