A lesson in honesty

Thursday, her last day of school for the week, Allyssa came home with a prize from the treasure box at school. To earn a prize from the treasure box, one has to get 5 stars on the good behavior chart. The problem? Allyssa got a prize from the treasure box on Tuesday. Thursday is not 5 days after Tuesday.

Allyssa came home and showed me her new zebra striped sunglasses. She loved them. I asked her where she got them. I was assuming it was some type of birthday party favor or something along those lines because, of course, it couldn't be from the treasure box since she had just come home Tuesday with a prize.

"I got them from the treasure box."

Hmm. I wondered if it was a mistake or if something special happened at school that caused her to get another prize from the treasure box. I don't pick up or drop off Allyssa at school, so I rarely know the rules when it comes to these things. Maybe there was another way to get a treasure. "Why did you get a treasure?"

Allyssa responded, "For being good."

Okay, still might be okay. Maybe she did something great. I decided to let it go until after lunch. It was lunch time, and I was hungry.

Later in the afternoon, Allyssa started talking about her new glasses again.

"Miss Neysa goofed."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't get 5 stars. I only have 1."

"Does Miss Neysa know that she goofed?"

"No."

"You're going to have to give Miss Neysa back the glasses. You did not earn them. You may ask her if you can have them back when you earn them."

Sad, but understanding, Allyssa said, "Okay." She pouted a little, so I called her to my lap.

"Allyssa, do you know why you have to give Miss Neysa back the glasses?"

"I didn't earn them."

"That's right. Would you like me to go to school with you on Tuesday when you give them back?"

"No, Daddy can still take me. Mom, I want to earn these."

"Good."

I really hope that her teacher will let her earn them back. It is possible that she would let another kid choose them. It is equally possible that Allyssa will want to choose something else from the box once she earns 5 stickers.

I know that it won't be easy for Allyssa to tell Miss Neysa that she didn't earn the glasses, but I am glad that she is going to do it. I told her that if she wanted to she could wear the glasses on Thursday when she got them, but she told me that she'd rather just wait until they were really her glasses. I guess that was a wise choice. She hasn't touched them since.