Trash talk

Recently Boy #1 took out the trash, like the good son that he is. Afterwards, maybe two weeks, whilst I was taking the trash to the dumpster, I noticed an unpleasant smell from under the neighbors steps. Upon investigation of this smell, I realized, that it was the bag of trash from two weeks previous that Boy #1 so easily acquiesced to take to the dumpster. For whatever reason, he faltered a mere three feet from completing the task and instead squatted under the neighbors stairway, and waddled his way to where he then stashed the bag. He was grounded for two weeks and made to take the trash all the way to the dumpster daily. He also had to write an apology letter to each of the 11 occupants of our building and our landlord. I thought this taught him a valuable lesson about respect and responsibility. Yesterday, we noticed that a few items that Boy #1 was supposed to put into the dumpster made it UNDER the dumpster instead. So much for the lesson. Of all the ways for children to rebel, I guess it’s not so bad, but WOW, how much more work it was to get the items under the dumpster than in.