Ace has a very bad habit.
He likes to throw his wallet carelessly around.
Both me and his dad have reminded him many many many times to always keep his wallet in the same few places. But he never listens.
Sometimes I will find it on the dining table... sometimes on our bedside table in our bedroom... sometimes on the floor of his bedroom... sometimes on top of his school bag...
The other day, after he returned home from Popo's house, he said he could not find his wallet. We tried to search but could not find it... and it happened on the day before his first exam paper... But it was already bed time... so I told him that we will try search for it the next day.
He cried and told me that there is $45 in that wallet... It was money he saved when he wanted to buy the Nerf Modulus system. Now that the money is gone, it means he has to save all over.. and he only had this much cos Godma Annie gave him a red packet for doing well during CA2.
Usually, he does not bring so much money to school at all.. it was becos it was weekend and he wanted to be well prepared so tat in case he saw something he liked while he was out and he can buy using his own money if I did not want to buy for him.. but leh, 聪明反被聪明误.. exam period leh, why would I bring him to a mall where he can buy things right? Hahahaha...
I told him too bad he has to learn his lesson.. and then went out of the room and tried to search for it. I messaged Popo and asked her to check her house too... But they could not find it too.. I asked his dad to search in the car and he said he did not see it too.
When I went back into his bedroom later, he had not fallen asleep yet and was silently sobbing.
I explained to him that tomorrow is his exam and having a good night's sleep is more important.. money that is gone can be saved or earned again. But if he dun do well in the exam, he cannot undo it liao cos only one chance at the exam.
"I am not crying over the money gone though I am sad.. " he said in between sobs... "I am upset about why I did something so irresponsible... "
Wah, that is something I never thought my son will say lor.. responsiblity does not rank high in his world...
Anyway, i gave him a long hug and told him to stop crying and just learn from his mistake and not bring around so much money.... and take better care of his wallet next time.
Next time I went back into his bedroom, he was asleep liao... Next day, when we were walking to school, I shared that we will still try to search for the wallet and he should know that losing a wallet is not really that big a deal to be so upset lah... and then I shared my story of how I lost my wallet once and how I learn to be more careful after tat and never lost it again since:)
By time he was home from school, it was almost as if he had forgotten this incident of losing the wallet:)
Anyway, he bought a coin holder in school and I reminded him that he has many wallets at home mah.. why doesnt he use them. And he remembered that Carrie Jie Jie gave him a red wallet and started using that. And then just so he will not lose it, he put a lanyard so he can hang around his neck.. hahahaha...
Fast forward to two weeks later... one fine day, I finally found his wallet!
Guess where!?
It was hiding in between two cushions on the sofa under a pile of laundry that his dad has been asking him to fold for the past two weeks!
I returned him his wallet and told him he will have to pay me the $20 I spent to replace his missing MRT card...
And then he said he wanted to give me all of the $45 inside..
"$20 I return you for the transit link card... Another $20 is for the other time I made you replace the card cos i did not take care of it... and then the leftover $5... just becos I want to give you the money..."
I told him I dun need all the money.. I will take the $20 for him to learn his lesson... the rest he can keep...
But very song to hear tat my son wants to give me money lah:) hahahaha...
I hope he takes better of his things in future!
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