Many years ago, when we first moved into our house, there was a family living down the street with the worst children we'd ever run across. I mean these kids were BAD! They stole anything that wasn't locked down, hid in the bushes and threw eggs at cars - you name it and they did it. Christmas came and the Island King made a big Christmas tree in the front yard with strands of lights. It was really cool. Not long after he put the tree up we turned the lights on one night and all of the lights from about 4 feet down were missing. They stole every single light bulb that they could reach. We asked them about it and of course they denied it. The next year the same thing happened only this time the lights were missing from a little higher - the kids had grown and could reach a little higher. Outside Christmas light bulbs are expensive and I was getting sick of replacing them so the next year the Island King came up with a plan. Right after he put up the tree he called the kids over and said "You see that tree? I'm sick and tired of whoever is stealing those lights so this year if the lights go missing I'm going to call the cops and I'm going to tell them that I saw YOU take them. I don't care who's really taking them. I'm telling the cops I SAW you do it." Our neighbor was standing there and he said he'd back our story and say he saw them too. Needless to say not one bulb went missing from that year on. As a matter of fact, nothing ever got stolen from my yard again. The Island King said "I told you that Mafia S#@^* would work LOL
So here we are years later and a new set of punks are roaming the neighborhood. There are 3 new boys (all from different families) and they are really causing problems. They cuss horribly and tear up everything they can, just out right vandalism. My boys are exposed to them because they ride their bikes in front of the house like mine do and it's really becoming a problem. Today the Oldest Island Boy came inside and told me that he'd come inside because the rest of the boys were throwing rocks at a man's house and that he didn't want to get in trouble. We walked outside and there goes a man from around the corner running as fast as he can and cussing up a storm. He's chasing one of the boys but the boy was just too fast and he got away (I heard later that he ducked into a big azalea bush and the guy ran right by) A little later the Island King and I were outside and the boys came back. The Island King called them over and asked what was going on. One of the boys admitted he was throwing rocks at the house but the other 2 denied it (the kid who admitted it says they WERE doing it too LOL) Right about then a truck pulled up and it was the guy who was chasing the kid. He lit into those boys and chewed them a new one. The kid with the foul mouth went off and cussed this man something terrible. Well what happened next happened pretty fast. I took several steps back just as the Island King snatched this boy up by his shirt and the guy slammed his truck in park and got out. The Island King got right up in this kid's face and told him that if ever heard that mouth again or if he ever caught him even thinking of doing anything wrong he wasn't calling his mom, he was calling the cops and him and this other guy were going to tell the cops they saw him do all kinds of things - even stuff he'd never dream of doing. The other guy was pretty much letting the Island King handle things and he agreed that he'd back up whatever the Island King told them. By now all of the hot air has gone out of this kid and he's crying and blubbering like you wouldn't believe LOL The Island King read him the riot act a little more and then told him to get on home. The guy told the Island King that was the best thing he'd ever seen LOL The Island King said "Ya gotta go Mafia on these kids, they might be punks but I'm the Godfather and this is my neighborhood" LOL I hate to admit it but the man is right. Talking to these kid's parents never works and the whole love and acceptance thing never works either. Sometimes you just need to speak their language. I'll bet money we don't have any more problems from this kid LOLLabels: Done