I have spent a lot of time over the last year or so trying to deal with my own lies. The lies about everything being perfect etc. So I hate when people lie. Yet some how I managed to get myself into a profession in which I get lied to more by 9am then most people do in their entire lives. Most of these are little white lies like I need to go to the bathroom which is secret code for I need to check my phone. Or I left my homework at home means I didn't even I had homework. Yet, there are lies that bother me. They are the ones that are told directly to my face that piss me off. On Friday I caught a student taking stickers off my desk. These stickers (other than being my sons) have no value to me and are easily replaced. When I asked her about this she told me she got them at Target. Now please picture this conversation going down with lots of teenage attitude and head wagging. She denied she took those stickers, and I know she did. I am much more upset about the lying then the actual taking of the stickers (who would care about stupid stickers) but that she would lie to my face about it. I then explained to her that I hope she would never steal from me because I would always give her whatever she needed as long as she asked for it and I had it to give. Then I asked her again and she in her special teenage attitude said "I told you Miss, I got it at Target".
So I let it go. I let her walk out the room. Then I got pissed. Really pissed-and sad. I was pissed because of her entitled attitude (which sadly a lot of my students have). How dare she think it is ok to steal and then lie when you get caught. Yet, more than that I was sad. I was sad that no one had taught this young lady that she shouldn't lie and steal. That no one has taught her that when she has done something wrong rather than argue and give attitude she should apologize and ask to be forgiven. I am sad to think of what happens when it isn't just stickers. What happens when it is something bigger like a phone or money. Then that is when real trouble will start for her. I have let this sit for several days now and I think I might talk to her again about this. I might talk to her about how upset this has made me, yet I struggle with if I want to do that. I know myself if i go and talk to her and I get the same attitude I may loose my temper or get more mad and upset than I am now. Yet, if I don't know say anything I am just allowing her behavior to continue. I would never allow my own children to get away with acting that way and not addressing it, why would I allow this child to do so. Thoughts bloggy world? What would you do?
