DS just cost me $500!

[Skatermom23]

DS came home from school yesterday and told me he "accidently" threw his retainers away on his lunch tray! Replacements will cost $500! Just when I thought the year was starting out well money wise.

 

[crs7568]

I feel for you. My daughter threw hers away on an airplane last year. Part of the joys of being a parent.

 

[kjs1976]

My friend did that TWICE in Jr. high. Both times she remembered right after the fact. I helped her dig on one garbage for 1/2 hr. and we found them. second time she found them right away.

Sorry he didn't remember until later!

 

[bunny213]

Skatersmom....I was an elementary school secretary for 25 years...and that is NOT an uncommon thing to happen...but I did learn from some parents that it may be covered by your homeowners insurance...you could check!
I can't tell you how many of the kiddo's came to me in tears because they did the same thing....sometimes if the custodian hadn't taken the bags out...the student could get some rubber gloves from the nurse and "hunt" for it....Bless his heart....you know - the kids just get so tied up in time limits and wanting to be with friends that they just don't think!! He probably feels very badly about it. Barb in Texas

 

[Skatermom23]

Skatersmom....I was an elementary school secretary for 25 years...and that is NOT an uncommon thing to happen...but I did learn from some parents that it may be covered by your homeowners insurance...you could check!
I can't tell you how many of the kiddo's came to me in tears because they did the same thing....sometimes if the custodian hadn't taken the bags out...the student could get some rubber gloves from the nurse and "hunt" for it....Bless his heart....you know - the kids just get so tied up in time limits and wanting to be with friends that they just don't think!! He probably feels very badly about it. Barb in Texas

You would think he feels bad but boy is he having major attitude over this. He can't see why I am upset! He remembered then as soon as he went to his next class (he is in 8th grade) and I asked him if he asked if he could go back to the lunch room and look through the garbage for them. He told me no, because he wasn't going through other peoples garbage. What gets me so mad is that he was told a zillion times about this being the most common way kids lose their retainers and to make sure you put them in the case. He would blow me off with that typical 14 year old attitude and tell me that it wouldn't happen to him. Because of his attitude over this, DH and I decided to make him pay for them. I know we are the mean old parents!

 

[mrsboz]

I remember when my daughter was two - she threw away my night guard. Three hundred dollars. I was so bummed.

Would you maybe consider having him pay for some of it. Maybe that would help him understand. If he doesn't have any money - maybe give him extra chores with a monetary value that would come off of the $500.00. I know $500.00 still is a big chunk of change and it would really aggravate me too.

 

[ceecee]

Yes, If he had to pay the $500.00, he would be going through other people's garbage really fast! I know I would be. My girlfriend threw hers away at McD's when we were in H.S. and she got to search through two containers before finding them! Hey, some of us are dumpster diving for Wendy cups!!! I admit I picked up a few from the parking lot, was kind of gross.

 

[mjbaby]

I logged a bit of time in middle school, too, helping friends find their retainers in the "post-lunch" bins.

I think if it were my son giving me attitude there would definitely be some kind of co-pay thing going on. It's one thing if a kid loses it accidentally and, if remembered in time, tries to look for it or at least understands the impact of what happened on the entire family. But a kid who and doens't think it's a big deal needs to shoulder some of the consequences to get to a point of understanding, methinks.

 

[traycie2201]

Feel for you, the dog just ate my DS's after he yet again didn't put them in their container when he had them out !! Hoping the house or pet insurance will pay out

 

[we3disneygo]

I did this as a teenager in Mc D's , i went thru the trash till I found it....

 

[Tjaleks]

Wow, $500 is crazy. To replace my my ds is only $150. BTW, he microwaved his last one. They make very pretty sparks and flames.

He has already been told he will be buying the next one. We are on number 4 I believe.

 

[sk!mom]

You would think he feels bad but boy is he having major attitude over this. He can't see why I am upset! He remembered then as soon as he went to his next class (he is in 8th grade) and I asked him if he asked if he could go back to the lunch room and look through the garbage for them. He told me no, because he wasn't going through other peoples garbage. What gets me so mad is that he was told a zillion times about this being the most common way kids lose their retainers and to make sure you put them in the case. He would blow me off with that typical 14 year old attitude and tell me that it wouldn't happen to him. Because of his attitude over this, DH and I decided to make him pay for them. I know we are the mean old parents!

I feel your pain. My DS now 21 threw his away twice and dug through the trash and found it at 14/15. Then he lost it and said that he had no idea where it could be. We also told our DS that he would have to pay for his and worked out a payment plan (basically everything that he had saved plus his allowance for three months). He found it a day later. Giving up his cash was a motivator to look for it. Good luck with your teenager- it does get better.

 

[RangerPooh]

My brother did this once. Very expensive for my parents to replace.

Does anyone remember the scene from 'Parenthood' where Steve Martin is digging through the trash to find his sons retainer? Gross but it has to be done.

 

[kfeuer]

I think if it were my son giving me attitude there would definitely be some kind of co-pay thing going on. It's one thing if a kid loses it accidentally and, if remembered in time, tries to look for it or at least understands the impact of what happened on the entire family. But a kid who and doens't think it's a big deal needs to shoulder some of the consequences to get to a point of understanding, methinks.

I agree! I think your son definitely needs a wake-up call that $500 is alot of money! I'd be furious if I was in your shoes.

I accidentally threw mine away right after I got it and spent hours going through a restaurant's trash but we couldn't find it My parents weren't too hard on me because they knew it was an accident and I felt really bad about it.

I wouldn't advise calling your homeowner's insurance about it, though. Turning in small claims really hurts your standing, and with all the natural disasters that have been going on you don't want unnecessary strikes against you. If you get cancelled by a "standard" company, you will pay far more for less coverage in a "sub-standard" market. I work for an insurance agency and that's the advice we'd give any of our customers.

 

[rcpae]

Same thing here! DD wrapped hers in a paper towel, and while cleaning up the kitchen in our room on vacation....out it went. My DH and DD went dumpster diving, but the trash had been picked up so no luck.

$500 does seem like alot, our replacement was going to cost $125.

 

[KTSMOM]

I did this twice when I was a teenager. I found them once but lost them again, so my ortho put in a permanent retainer for my lower teeth...still have it today!! (16 yrs later)

 

[Cass]

He told me no, because he wasn't going through other peoples garbage.

Well at least he told you the truth you have to give him credit for that. He could have given you a sob story that he 'searched and searched'

 

[PattiPB]

I feel your New's Years pain! My dog tore her ACL on New Year's Day! I didn't know dogs had knees!!! $2200 for surgery. So much for starting the year in the black.

At least the dog doesn't give me any attitude!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Ah I remeber the incident well when my son did it. He was at Costco just before Thanksgiving. HE was on his third sample of pumpkin pie. Then we walk away and he says he cannot find his retainer. We retrace our steps. I go up to the front of the store and put in a lost report and tell them if they find a small black thing that looks like a bat with a spring in the middle to please call me. Then I get to thinking. Go back to the pie! Of course I am so ticked off I cannot even go with him I make DH go back. WEll I am sitting in the car fuming...he comes back and tells me he found it. It was in the trash.

Then I get the story from him about how the sample lady felt so bad for him. She gave him gloves and an extra big piece of pie when he found it and of course he did this with attitude! I told him to have the sample lady adopt him and she could pay for the replacement. When we went to the orthodontist he told us it was a good think he found it since the replacement would be 375! What I LOVE is when these kids do these things they have ATTITUDE. Can you believe it?

 

[mum4jenn]

My assistant manager feels so sorry for the kids when they throw them away that she herself will dig through the trash. Last year a 4th grader threw hers away 3 times in one week and I kept telling my assistant to make the student look or she would never learn her lesson. Finally I had the teacher tell the Mom what was happening and that she would have to look for it herself next time and it never happened again from this student.


This year a 3rd grader threw hers away a few different times and she was so upset about it both my assistant and me dug through the trash. We had served turnip greens, cornbread and fried chicken that day...YUCK!! We never found it but the next day I was sick as a dog and missed two days of work and swore I would never look for another retainer in the trash. I am never sick so I figured I caught something from all that MUCK. Just before the Christmas break this same student lost another retainer and I refused to look for it and I refused for my assistant to look for it. I gave the girl some gloves and she found it herself. I also told her that she will be digging again if she throws it away again. So far so good. I think 3rd grade is a bit young for the responsibility of it but its not my kid!!

The middle school here will not dig through the trash either. Once there was a whole family outside digging in all the dumpsters looking for a retainer. I think they looked for so long they had to use their car headlights but they did find it.