My little scofflaw

Oh, Cooper!  A curious boy or a criminal in the making?

Okay, I joke.  But it”s true.  He’s only six and already has had two episodes of law-breaking.

The first happened just before his fourth birthday.  Having just learned some safety rules in preschool, Coop decided to test out the local 911 system.  I can confirm it works just fine, having been on the receiving end of the reverse call:  “Hi, we just received a call from this number.  Is everything okay?”  I had to assure them it was my kid and no one was in danger.  Yet.  Cooper cried when I told him what had happened.

Then just today, on the way to pick up Ellie from preschool, I am pulled over by a cop.  I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong!  The cop examines my license, then tells me that Cooper, who was supposed to be buckled up in his booster seat, was standing up and hanging his head out the window.  The officer wanted to give us a warning.  After he pulled away, Cooper burst into tears.

I guess I can be grateful my son has a sense of guilt, even if it is just because he got caught.

Cooper’s a good kid with a lot of energy and curiosity.  I hope that I can help him, over the next dozen years or so, figure out how to channel it all into positive outlets.   Or we’re both in for a lot of tears.