Has your child ever "run away"?

[luvdzne]

A co-worker of mine was relating a story about how she and her sister had gotten into trouble when they were about 10yo.... Their father grounded them and they decided to runaway.....

Well, they told their father this and he went out into his garage and made up a sign and put it at the end of the driveway:

Bike's For Sale!!!
&
Room For Rent!!!


They decided not to run away...........

I'll have to remember that for next time

 

[stacy347]

My kids haven't done it yet but the next-door neighbor's little boy showed up at my back door one day with his hockey gear and roller blades and declared that he was coming to live with us because his dad said he couldn't play X-Box anymore, LOL!

 

[golfgal]

Our oldest "ran away" when he was about 6 or 7. It was pretty funny. He packed up some clothes, put them in the wagon, I offered to make some sandwiches, he declined, and off he tromped to some bushes by our house. He was gone for about 15 minutes when DH got home from work and DH was all upset "how could you let him run away, blah, blah, blah". I just started laughing at DH and said "how long do you really think he will be gone when he figures out it is hot out, he has no food or drink?" Dh went out and brought him home.

 

[MN Dis Fans]

When our youngest DS was about 4 he decided he would go live with his DF Ashley at her house with her family. Mind you we live about 6 miles from their house out in the country. I'm not sure why he wanted to leave us but it probably had something to do with Yu-Gi-oh cards. He packed a bag of toys and started walking and got a ways down the road before his DBigBro panicked and asked me to go get him. I sent him to his room to "think about it." Imagine my surprise when the county sheriff knocked on the door. A neighbor had called to report DS's going down the street. Thanks!
Actually, the deputy was very nice, asked DS why he wanted to run away and leave such a nice home, be a good boy, listen to your mom, etc..... DH and DMom were horrified that this happened. I was so glad the house clean that day.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Amazingly, my kids have not even threatened to run away! I just realized that. wow.

Anyway, as a kid, I was too afraid to runaway. I wanted to so bad. But I was more afraid of what would happen to me when they found me and I had to go home, it would not have been pretty. So, no I have never run away.

Sometimes I want to now, too!

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

My kids haven't yet, but I did. I lasted less than 5 minutes.

Isn't it nice when we can be amused by some of the drama our kids create? I was afraid this would go the way of another recent thread!

Just for the record, I never said that you couldn't laugh about it, DH and I had quite a few laugh riots up in our room when the kids couldn't see us laughing at their expense!

But sorry, I think laughting at them is counter-productive and frankly inneccesarily mean. If a kid really is upset about something, even if it seems ridiculous and comical to us, it isn't to them. I think they can be left feeling alienated and powerless.

I guess a little amused smile in a loving way would be OK, but a to their face? Do you all like it when people do that to you?

Not saying the OP did or meant this, just clarifying my position.

 

[goofy4tink]

Oh man...welcome to the world of tween girls!!! I think it was in mid-January when my dd, 12, went missing. We had had 'words' as is the norm for moms and their tween dd's. So, dd stomped upstairs. I went back to doing laundry. Dh came home and we started our end of day conversation and such. He asked 'Where's Katie?' I said she was upstairs most likely pouting and sulking. So, being the dad he is (hates seeing her unhappy in any way!!) he went up to talk to her, but she wasn't there. So, we checked the basement playroom, not there!! Okay, it's getting dark now...we are calling her like crazy. I notice that her rolling Barbie suitcase, her favorite blankie and Corduroy Bear are all missing. Also some reading books. OMG!!!! I start hollaring around the house. My stomach is clenching, doing the somersault thing. I just wanted to scream. But, took a deep breath...I went outside, through the cellar door (we have a walkout basement). What do I see? Tracks!!! Yes, you read right...tracks. I followed the tracks, in the light snow covering (thank you God!!) right to our way in the back yard garden shed!!! There she was, sitting in a beach chair she had pulled down, reading by flashlight!!!
I calmly told her she needed to go back to the house and we would discuss what had just happened. I think I was amazingly calm since my dh was ready to call the police 10 minutes previously!!
We had the whole 'there are bad people out there, what were you thinking' talk. It's funny now, but I have to tell you...I have never been quite so scared in my adult life.

 

[Disney Doll]

I, quite frankly, see no harm whatsoever in laughing at a kid when they do something incredibly amusing or funny. And if they feel powerless..oh well. There are many times in their life when they will be powerless, so it's good for them to get an idea of how to cope with that feeling. When they are at work, they will have bosses. There will be times when they will be powerless...ie-having to obey the directive of a boss...so knowing how to handle it is a good thing.

 

[Miss Inga Depointe]

I, quite frankly, see no harm whatsoever in laughing at a kid when they do something incredibly amusing or funny. And if they feel powerless..oh well. There are many times in their life when they will be powerless, so it's good for them to get an idea of how to cope with that feeling. When they are at work, they will have bosses. There will be times when they will be powerless...ie-having to obey the directive of a boss...so knowing how to handle it is a good thing.

I know that people will do this; but does it have to be us? Doing it to people we love? When we do it, we are teaching our kids to do it, and therefore turning them into people who do it to other people. Where's the upside to that?

Maybe you are are better people than I am, but if I am really, really hot under the collar, and really need to calm down, DH laughing like I'm some kind of idiot does not make me laugh, too. In fact, it makes me more angry. We can laugh about it later, or he could gently jolly me into seeing the humor in the situation, but just to . Oh, my, not if he wants to live to tell the tale!

Obviously you can mother how ever you like and this is JMO, but it worked for me.

 

[Griggle]

My darling DS4 "ran away" a few weeks ago - while in the supermarket. After repeatedly asking for strawberries (moldy), bananas (he doesn't like them), crackers from the salad bar (I'm not paying .50 for two crackers) and being told "NO" each time, when I turned my back for 30 seconds to pick out a loaf of bread - he took off. At first I didn't freak - thought he was in the immediate area. When I couldn't find him in the next two aisles - panic set in and an employee stocking the shelves ran to close the doors. A search found him in aisle 10 - looking at the magazines. He told the manager that "I ran away because mom won't let me buy food"...*rolleyes* I got there. He asked to buy the magazine he was looking at. I smushed him into the seat in the cart.

 

[goofy4tink]

I know that people will do this; but does it have to be us? Doing it to people we love? When we do it, we are teaching our kids to do it, and therefore turning them into people who do it to other people. Where's the upside to that?

Maybe you are are better people than I am, but if I am really, really hot under the collar, and really need to calm down, DH laughing like I'm some kind of idiot does not make me laugh, too. In fact, it makes me more angry. We can laugh about it later, or he could gently jolly me into seeing the humor in the situation, but just to . Oh, my, not if he wants to live to tell the tale!

Obviously you can mother how ever you like and this is JMO, but it worked for me.

I have to agree. After raising a 35 y/o ds, and a 30 y/o dd, with the almost 13 y/o dd left, I think I have some experience here. Our kids need to realize and know that they can rely on their parents to always be there, to support them, without derision or embarrassment. Sure, maybe a few days later you can laugh about it together, but in the 'heat' of the moment, you have to support that child. Otherwise, they will stop coming to you and talking to you. Believe me....I've been there. I didn't think that a chuckle here or there was such a bad thing, but when my now 30 y/o said to me...'You know Mom, you make it hard to talk to you when you laugh at my problems.' Was her problem laughable? Well, perhaps not, but the situation was. But, I still should have closed my mouth until she was much less sensitive to it.

 

[disykat]

These stories are not about laughing to their child's face, they are about finding your child's antics amusing. Give people some credit. I don't know why people assume that while they might laugh privately at their own children, anyone who admits in here must be doing it to their face? We are sharing stories on an annonymous internet board. Good grief! I was surprised to see even Inga admit she and her dh have "had a laugh riot" over their children - something she wouldn't admit on the other thread.

 

[luvdzne]

Just for the record, I never said that you couldn't laugh about it, DH and I had quite a few laugh riots up in our room when the kids couldn't see us laughing at their expense!

But sorry, I think laughting at them is counter-productive and frankly inneccesarily mean. If a kid really is upset about something, even if it seems ridiculous and comical to us, it isn't to them. I think they can be left feeling alienated and powerless.

I guess a little amused smile in a loving way would be OK, but a to their face? Do you all like it when people do that to you?

Not saying the OP did or meant this, just clarifying my position.

I don't really remember reading where anyone was laughing in their childs face I know I certainly did not say that.

 

[FroggyinArk]

nope our dd has not ran away,, yet,, but we keep hoping....

 

[goofy4tink]

These stories are not about laughing to their child's face, they are about finding your child's antics amusing. Give people some credit. I don't know why people assume that while they might laugh privately at their own children, anyone who admits in here must be doing it to their face? We are sharing stories on an annonymous internet board. Good grief! I was surprised to see even Inga admit she and her dh have "had a laugh riot" over their children - something she wouldn't admit on the other thread.

I'm sorry....I actually wasn't responding to all the posts, just Miss Inga's post about laughing at our kids, in front of them. I stand corrected. No one here actually said they did that...sorry if my post came across differently

 

[highland3]

Touch wood... our kids have never tried to take off.

BUT... I can remember making a break for it a few times when I was very young. My parents had the police searching for me once, sinec I made a fast disappearance. Most other times, me and my little suitcase only made it to the street.

 

[disneymac]

Thankfully my kids haven't gone there - yet...

However, when I was about 4 or 5 and was angry with my mother for something or other, I told her that I was going to run away - to Nana's. She offered me a ride. I packed my little suitcase & we drove over there, had a nice visit with Nana & came home together!