Some of you have recently seen the TV advertisement with the large frog in the car frightening the passengers. When I saw this I was reminded of an incident when my kids were young and a frog became a passenger in our car one Saturday afternoon. However, unlike the persons in the advertised car, I was unaware I was carrying an uninvited guest---at least uninvited by me. Our family had been visiting the family of one of my earlier girlfriends. Her parent had a large getaway home in the country and we had been guests that day at this lovely ranch away from the city noise and discomfort. One of my sons had been playing with a large frog and as we were getting ready to leave for home I asked my boy to put the frog down and let him return to the country. My son pleaded his case to be allowed to take his plaything home and I finally had to become rather firm in denying him his request. And so we took leave of our day in the country and headed for the city.
The next day as I was working around the house, Louise was in church with the girls and I went into the boys bedroom and there to my dismay, in a dresser drawer covered by a screen, and,of course,you are way ahead of me, was the frog!! Now I had been very definite in my disallowing the frog to accompany us home and my nine year old was quite aware of my feelings. So, what to do?? He was playing with other boys in the yard and I went down and called him to join me in the back room. On the way there, I picked up a board from the garage and had it in my hand as we headed into the house. Now this little boy had become somewhat of a habitual prevaricator of the truth and Father had to make a decision to nip that habit in the bud as it were. I carefully took him in my arms and explained the difference between truth versus prevarication. Following my detailed explanation, I proceeded to spank his bared bottom with the aforementioned board. I was not gentle in my ministrations to that rapidly reddening bottom and tears were flowing abundantly. My emotional state had been sufficiently assuaged and I ceased my labors. Then, holding him close to me, I again, explained the reason for this departure from my normal, implacable attitude regarding corporal punishment. I told him how much he was loved and held him until the tears stopped flowing. Was I correct in meting out this punishment? Well, I will say one thing that might seem to put the rightness of that act in its proper position. A few weeks ago, in discussing various things with my son, he mentioned he would never forget the spanking he got over his decision to secretly bring the frog home. If nothing else impacted that act he knew there was a limit to how far I could be pushed before there would be repercussions. Maybe there was a degree of success in my endeavors. Kermit lives again!!
