Sick and tired of ds losing things

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anxiously hopeful
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:34 am

Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by anxiously hopeful »

It's a bit of a moan, really. DS took off his rain jacket on the school playground during a break, and when later remembered and returned to pick it up, it was gone. Two days later, I went to school looking for it, but there was not a sign of it. It had a label with ds's name on it, but I guess it is fairly easy to take it off and write over his name written with an indelible pen. :-(
I feel horrible about it, as it was new, we haven't even paid the credit card bill with it on yet.
Any ideas or opinions on how to prevent it? I don't want to buy him crappy clothes that would not tempt anyone...
Last edited by anxiously hopeful on Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
scary mum
Posts: 8840
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by scary mum »

Make him pay for the replacement. I mean, really make him pay for it - hand over his own cash. Taking it from future pocket money isn't the same.
scary mum
anxiously hopeful
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:34 am

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by anxiously hopeful »

He hasn't got any as his pocket money is being collected towards replacement swimming goggles after losing 4 pairs this year so far... today he wore his old tatty jacket after being given a choice of that or my own "mumjacket" ;-)
I dread him losing expensive rugby kit when he starts GS in September.
twinkles
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by twinkles »

Yep, I agree with scary mum make him hand over the cash for it. My DS lost his p.e. kit in year 7 or 8 (I can't remember which) and I made him pay for the replacement. He didn't lose it again!

Did he mind wearing his tatty old jacket? Is it him that wanted/needed a new jacket or was it more you wanted him to have a nice jacket? Hopefully the warmer weather will get here soon and he won't need a jacket - so he has plenty of time to pay you back the money before you replace it :wink:
anxiously hopeful
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Sep 27, 2014 10:34 am

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by anxiously hopeful »

The old one is no longer waterproof, but he is not too bothered, to be honest. I feel cruel, but we usually reward him with money if he gets a good report at the end of the school year and this year, will pay bonus for doing levels 6 and 5 SATs, and then will promptly make him buy a new jacket with it. ;-) He'd waste it on computer games otherwise.
Thanks for good advice!
scary mum
Posts: 8840
Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:45 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by scary mum »

Seriously, get him to hand over the cash when he has it. Much more real.
scary mum
twinkles
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by twinkles »

Well then it will be a lesson learnt that the money he has earned from doing well at school will have to be spent on replacing the coat he lost and not on the games he would like to have spent it on. Some times you have to be cruel to be kind.
twinkles
Posts: 514
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:23 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by twinkles »

deleted - double post
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by KB »

Is it a school uniform jacket? It's possible someone has it and simply hasn't noticed. Prep school used to put out 'lost uniform' notices in weekly newsletter - do you have something similar?

Agree with the paying for it themselves approach where carelessness is to blame but also tend towards getting 2nd hand kit where the DC isn't bothered. In the case of outdoor games kit its very difficult to tell which is new after a couple of wears.
We also had back up 2nd hand blazer for emergency use. Best one only went missing once and did turn up a couple of days later - gave it a good wash :)

I do bother about uniform and kit being clean but apart from that I gave up worrying too much. Ink stains were never ending and I'd buy a new shirt for it to happen again. Soon gave up the fight!
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Sick and tired of ds losing things

Post by yoyo123 »

If he has no money, make him work to pay it off. I do sympathise, my son was a nightmare. Actually having to put some effort into replacements was the only thing that seemed to hit home. We had a chart on teh fridge and checked off his efforts.
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