Often in parenting we are forced to give an answer to something in the moment, and that answer may not really be the right one. This morning I find myself questioning my response to a text message I received from my 15yr old this morning.I am sure we will have more discussion about this later this evening so I thought I would ask other parents how they would have responded and maybe have a better arsenal of thought for the longer discussion this evening.Conversation ScreenshotMy daughters text: “Dad idk what to do I’m freaking out internally. [Friend] got caught stealing again and I don’t wanna work on the dragon with him anymore but I don’t know how to tell him.”A few contextual details: Friend stole about $80 worth of candy bars from a club fundraiser when they were in 8th grade. I don’t yet know what and from who he stole this time. The dragon is a group project they started last Thursday in their art class. I don’t know what her consequence will be with the teacher if she decides not to work with the friend.My initial response: “That is hard, and there are no good answers. I am sorry you are experiencing that challenge.I think you have to be direct with him. “[Friend], I need to have a trust relationship with someone to complete a project like this. Right now, your choice to steal from [X] has violated that trust. I have valued you as a friend in the past and I hope that with time our trust can be rebuilt. For right now, I am excusing myself from our shared project.”Do you think you can say that?”So other parents, in your opinions was I right to encourage her to step back from the friendship? Would you have felt a completely different action should have been recommended? Have you been in a similar situation with one of your kids, how did you respond and how did it work out ling term? Would you have encouraged her to stay in the project since in adult life we all find ourselves in projects at work with people we would rather not be working with? via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2TrZQ6i
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