I come from a family of two, and I want to go on record as saying those are lousy odds. Look at it this way. If my brother and I got into trouble there was a 50-50 chance that I'd take the whipping since naturally we always tried to blame the other guy. Things are different with my kids. I have four sons. When open warfare breaks out in the home, as it often does, each child has a one in four chance to escape my wrath. Before I was a father myself, I used to watch other dads as they quickly set the blame for a four or five child free-for-all and just as quickly administer the required tanning to one small backside. I remember asking one father how he was sure which kid started it. "It really doesn't matter," he said. "Sooner or later it will all even itself out.” I have found this to be the case. I have also found that when you single one lad out for a good thumping, it has a very sobering affect on the others. Furthermore, if you happen to nail the wrong lad, the one who is to blame will no doubt "get his" later on behind the garage at the hands of the boy who "took the rap". So fathers and mothers, take it from a veteran. Don’t waste too much time trying to figure out who is to blame, or who started it. When big trouble hits, make an arbitrary decision, cut one guy out of the herd and have done with it. And remember, as my friend said, "over the year it will all even itself out.”
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