Comments on: Might want a doctor to look at doze

By: snarly

snarly — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 19:18:29 +0000

We are all about the rigor here at SorryWatch Central, so I’m good with my colleague saying that young Master Nutz didn’t show that he truly understood why what he did was bad. (And also that, presumably, once he saw the call center — and props to the dispatchers for the tour, btw — he did understand.) Even when you’re an elementary-school-age kid, when you apologize you need to show that you understand WHY what you did was wrong. (And 6th grade is either elementary school or junior high. Old enough.) That’s on parents — when you have your kid apologize, as you should, you need to be sure he both comprehends and expresses why he did something hurtful.

By: sumac

sumac — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 16:57:44 +0000

In reply to Frances.

Well, I suspect “I was not listening to myself” was his parents’ phrase. Given that suspicion, I think his parents ought to have addressed the issue of the letter being all about the trouble he’s in, and not about trouble he might have caused.

Am I too rigorous? After all, the people who count — the staff at the 911 Center — agree with you!

But maybe they were just STUNNED to get an apology for the kind of thing I imagine happens too often.

By: Frances

Frances — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 16:44:44 +0000

In reply to Frances. **He doesn't just "write" the minimum...

By: Frances

Frances — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 16:43:26 +0000

I think this apology is adorable and that you could have mentioned a few of the things that were great about it before noting that it was missing something. For starters, it sounds sincere. He doesn’t just right the minimum. I think the repetition of certain ideas “it was stupid/wrong” and “please forgive me” indicate a real understanding of the heart of an apology.

I especially like the part where he says “I was not listening to myself.” That indicates that he does know right from wrong and that he should listen to his feelings about what is right.

I don’t think you can expect a 6th grader to automatically know what the effect of his prank call would be. Did it hurt someone’s feelings? How much time did it take really? Maybe the only thing he could think of is that it was disrespectful or just not right.

In any case, I thought it was a fine apology and would be happy to receive one this good from the adults in my life!

By: tanita

tanita — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 14:16:09 +0000

Little schmuck. I would have made him type it and write what he would do in restitution — and trust me, there would be some free labor for the city/county out of this. Surely they have need of trash pick-up at six a.m. on a Sunday? Because he’s so old and already falling into that “well, they dared me” stupidity, this would not be over for months.

This is also why no one lets me have children. And why my classroom was the quietest in the school when I was teaching… Ms. Davis Is Mean.