“All I want to do is help you, and teach you, so you’ll learn the important things about life”.
He understands this.
Why? Because I’ve been saying it since he was an infant.
Over and over and over.
He knows that punishments or consequences are not something a parent wants to do, but something a great parent is obligated to do.
And we both are learning that even though society has long subscribed to “punishment for failure“, we are going to challenge the status quo with “reward for not failing“.
“Nothing you ever do for a child is ever wasted”.