Learning lessons

While trick-or-treating, Max walked up the steps of a particular house and the owner held out a fistful of pixie sticks for he and his siblings.  He kindly explained, "Oh, we're not allowed to eat those, do you have anything else?" He'd already begun to dig through the poor woman's candy bowl and quickly chose different treats for he and his fellow treat-mates.  I cracked up because the child has a mind like a steel trap.  I'd told him once last year that pixie sticks were not allowed because they were just a straw full of pure sugar.  I guess he remembered that lesson.

I hope he remembers this lesson - he shared with me that a 5th grader on the bus told the other kids that he'd found a pack of cigarettes and smoked one.  My kids and I were at the dinner table together and I exclaimed, "Shame on Cliff*!"  Ryann and Max both asked, "Why 'shame on Cliff'?"  And I went on to explain that not only is smoking cigarettes before you are 18 illegal but it is also very bad for your health.  That neither Daddy nor I had ever smoked and we never would and we would not tolerate it in the Stewart household.  They asked what happened and I said that smoking could damage your lungs and you could get very sick or even die.  "Is Cliff going to die?!" they exclaimed.  I laughed and told them no, that likely Cliff's lungs would heal and hopefully he'd never do such a thing again.

*name changed to protect a neighbor who may not have fessed up or been caught by his parents yet