a lesson well learnt

This parenting gig is full on at times.  Oh who I am kidding.  It's full of most of the time if not all the time.  A little while ago I was presented with a situation that I had not yet had to deal with as a parent (of a school child) in particular.

On collecting my son from school, I got the look from his teacher that alerted me that I was not to escape without discussion.  Yes.  I was approached by said teacher and the details explained before me were to the effect that my son who was standing oh so innocently beside me, had in fact decided not to complete his comprehension work that day "just because".  As a way of protesting further he had written clearly in block letters on the top of this page  "NO NOT TODAY"

We had homework.

I had to take that work home with me, and he had to complete it.  hmmmm......

I thought on the short walk home - calm and collected brenda, calm and collected. 

As my kids sat side by side at the kitchen bench eating an after school snack I got out uncompleted work and directed my son's attention to it.  We completed it with little fan-fare and minimal agitation from me.  done.  but not really.  A lesson had to be learnt from this.

Later on I crept into the bedroom that is my sons domain and spoke to him about what had happened and what he thought he should do.

"Oh mum, I know I should do my work in class, I have to say sorry to Ms Dunn"

"Yes you do"

"But I don't want to say it, I think I could write it."

"Ok, that's fine"

So he popped up to his desk and wrote the sweetest apology and as a tear trickled down my cheek I realised that making the mistake isn't so bad if there is a lesson well learnt at the end.  And said apology note snapped on the iPhone as reminder before we took to school the following day.

What lesson has your child had to learn recently?  Did it make you proud?