Last night my boy, 9 & 13 had the brilliant idea to sneak into the kitchen and take apples and oranges outside and hit them with baseball bats. I kept seeing them run in and out of the house and knew something was up. Went outside and caught them. Chewed them out for wasting food and fined them both $5 to replace the apples and oranges. Oh boy were they mad!! One gave it to me last night and claimed I was stealing his money. The other went to bed angry and gave it to me as soon as he woke up. I said you boys do nonsense like that again, it'll be $10. Raising kids has as many surprises as having tenants, maybe more. --24.152.xxx.xx

Perhaps they should just go to the store and use their money to buy the replacement fruits. It may be more than the "happy fine" --172.56.xxx.xxx

In my day, when I'd catch the kids doing something, it wasn't with an apple or orange. Instead it was playing dress up with the cat, borrowing the neighbors miniature horse or putting an inflatable in the pool and go sailing. You are so lucky! --47.156.xxx.xx

Good lesson NE; be thankful it was just apples and not a more notorious at some kids are doing out there! --209.107.xxx.xxx

If it were me, after everyone is calmed down, I would truly turn it into (use it as a segue) a lesson on just that type of thing. They are homeschooled, right? Everything is a teaching opportunity. --72.218.xx.xxx

Plus you need to add in the cost of fuel, not to mention your time taking them there. --47.227.xx.xxx

Wait to see what happens outside of your control. --204.10.xxx.xx

Tell them you are from the Pa DEP and you are here to help them out. --173.188.xx.xxx

As youngsters my brother and I once threw snowballs into our coal fired furnace to watch them melt. Dad was really pissed. Don't remember how that episode ended. --24.4.xx.xx

And then we had to turn the handle for the manual hand-made ice cream machine :0 --76.35.xxx.xx

Handing bales of hay up to the second floor by hand was tough, especially for little ones like I was then. --47.227.xx.xxx

I don't remember poking holes in each of many home grown tomatoes my Dad had picked from the garden, only the spanking afterward. But when you're only 4 your rational mind isn't fully developed. Back then, I loathed tomatoes; my parents made me eat them anyway. Guess I figured if they were no longer viable, I wouldn't be forced to eat them. --209.107.xxx.xxx

Fun stuff. --73.216.xxx.xxx

There have been a couple of occasions when they stayed at my house. One pi$$ed in the floor when I got her laughing too hard. Recently though, I found out she gets really scarred and screams if you put a caterpillar on her. I didn't know that before. That is good to know for future reference. Now one of them has kids themselves and I can play with them and find out what I can do to them. I still have ADHD. In the future I can play with their kids. All for free. --73.19.xxx.xx

I remember using tomatoes from the garden for softballs. Very satisfying when you get a solid hit...but not so satisfying when Dad caught us! --74.222.xx.xxx

Plenty had a great idea! :) You are a great father NE! --99.233.xxx.xx

I admit, I WAS the one who bought them that gift... --108.201.xxx.xxx

Count your blessings, it could be a lot worse. Discipline is one aspect of showing them you love them, although they may not recognize it right now. --99.64.xx.xx

Who spanks Bad Parents ? --204.10.xxx.xx

It's never good to be the "cool" parent. --72.0.xxx.xx

I get it but sometimes you have to laugh at what they do. My were no angels but then neither am I. There is a line though. --174.60.xx.xxx