Broken window playing football

[shouldhavetakenmorenotice]

Inevitably - football mad 9YO DS broke a window playing in the garden. It's about an A4 size pane, should be replaceable tomorrow.

He's been warned before but obviously doesn't listen.

DH is home and suitably annoyed. Im going to have to go and be stern mum now.

Obviously he's paying for the window out of his savings, which will make a bit of a dent in the X Box fund.

Is that punishment enough?

Yes.
What more do you want to do?
Anything else would be overkill.

That's what I thought. I think DH is a bit close to the action, he's aiming for a reading of the riot act.

But as I understand it DS is pretty contrite.

Public hanging!

These things happen with children, things get broken.

I'm going to struggle to build scaffolding for a public hanging - given that I've used the last of the wood to cover the hole in the window.

Was he kicking the ball at the window on purpose?
Or kicking it in a direction/area he has been told not too?
Or just being silly/showing off?

If not, it is an accident and I wouldn't be making him pay on this occasion. If it happens again fair enough.
As for further punishment - definitely not!

Just remind DH that he doesn't want DS to be scared of his dad so go careful.

Jeez it was an accident, he shouldn't be paying for it at all.

Was your son actually playing in a negligent manner? Was this instead just a law of averages situation, where given the size of your garden and the number of hours of football played, a broken window was bound to happen at some point?

My DD broke a window throw a nerf ball around. Very annoying and she got a suitable bollocking but it was a careless accident so I didn't make her pay.

I also own a football mad 9yo and am sure this will happen to us at some point. I think my plan will be - contribution to repairs, genuine apology and full engagement in a discussion about ways of preventing a repeat incident.

Just part of having kids. Along with scribbles on walls, drinks spliied on sofa and chair, chocolate o cushions, smashed ornaments and all the other mess they bring.

It depends on the circumstances & if you could have prevented it.

is It in a place where you could put a 'cage' over it?

is there a windowless direction he can play?

how often does he get taken to the park so he can have a really good kick about

If you take him to the park regularly & he's been told NOT to kick the ball in the garden, then I think payment for the window (fraying getting the x box) is an ok consequence of not abiding by the rules.

if he doesn't get taken to the park & has just been told to 'be careful' then I think you suck up the cost & think about what you're going to do going forward. Is there a park he can walk to by himself?

DS has been warned about a hundred times. He hit me on the face with a ball a couple of weeks ago so this wasn't his first offence - so to speak.

We have the garden set up specifically for the ball to be kicked away from the house, not toward it.

Waiting to find out what the repair costs. If it's expensive he won't be paying all of it.

Absolutely NO danger of DS being scared of DH - they're best buds.

And he's taken to the park every Sunday afternoon to play.

So in addition to the Saturday class and all breaks and lunches, I think he gets enough opportunity to play!