Library Woes

Thanks to my son, I nearly had a brain haemorrhage today.

His library card - he gets a stamp for every four books

It all started a couple of weeks ago when he went to the library during Chinese period. He borrowed four books and brought all of them home. I looked at the books and discovered that he had borrowed mostly Chinese manga. They were mostly too difficult for him - one of them was actually a comic version of the Analects. I actually attempted reading the book to him, but even I got confused by all the Confucian terms mentioned in the text. I mean I did study Confucian philosophy for 'O' levels. But I did it in English and it was a very unique version - you know, teachings that suited the government were included and those that did not... you get the idea.

So, the books were mostly left at home except for one which ended up at my in-law's place and one that went to my parent's place. When it was time to return the books, Old Master Q went missing. My wife was sure she read the book at my parent's place (I also vaguely recalled it). Of course, there is also a high possibility that my son bought it to school and to his student care. In other words, it could be anywhere. We were prepared to pay for the book. Regardless, we told our son to return the books. If he could not find the time during recess or one of his ten minute breaks, he can return it when I arrived in school to pick him up.

When I bought him to the library after the school bell, I discovered that the books were missing. It was then he told me that he had returned the books. So I asked him how did he return the books. He said he left it on a table inside the library! By this time, I started to get very angry with him. I pointed out to the very huge book return bin just outside the library and asked him why he did not use it? He mumbled that he had forgotten! You can guess that by this time, I had 'face palmed' myself quite a few times.

I did not enter the library as there was a sign that said that the library was only for Catholic High students. Parents were also milling outside the library. I took that as a cue. In Catholic High, parents basically wonder everywhere, so if they did not enter the library, I took it as one of the few places parents cannot enter. 

As I drove him to the student care, I told him that if the books were lost, then he would need to pay it from his bank account. That set his little mind wondering. He mumbled something about a few dollars is not too much money and it is only a lot of money if it is a few hundred. In my mind, I knew that he was trying to say he can afford it! That got me even more infuriated. 

Maybe I was harsh with him as I started to scold him again. Then he started to say that he will never ever borrow books from the library again. So there I was, stuck between scolding him some more and scaring him forever from borrowing books (okay, maybe it will not scar him, but I think there will not be any borrowing in the short-term) and letting him off. So I ended up changing it to a talk about the lesson he can learn due to this incident. He was still upset with me and told me that he will not be in the same room as I am at home. I then told him that since I was going to be in the bedrooms (both his and mine), he can either sleep in the living room or sleep with the fish in the study. That kept his mouth shut. LOL! 

So, tomorrow my wife, who is picking him up will go with him to the library. We have decided that he will personally take a note explaining everything to the librarians and see what the librarians say about this incident. I wonder if other parents have such experiences with borrowing books? I hope he learns from this lesson and he continues to borrow books and RETURN the books in a proper manner. Actually, on hind side, he did one thing correct. He actually tried to take initiative and return it by himself. It is a pity that it turned out to be a bad decision. Maybe I need to praise him as well...