A Visit to the Police Station

We left this morning to run an errand. Bryce kept asking me where we were going, so I finally told him we were going to the police station. "NOOOOO" he kept saying. I told him we were going to go talk to the policeman about talking to strangers and sneaking out of the house. "I PROMISE I will NEVER sneak out of my window again!"

When the policeman came out and I explained what was going on, he tried talking to Bryce, but Bryce clammed up and started crying. I told him he wasn't in trouble, but he needed to learn this stuff. The policeman asked if Bryce wanted to see the police car and play with the lights and sirens. Bryce immediately lit up and said yes. He told Bryce if he would talk to him he would get to see them. So as we walked through the building he talked to Bryce about why he can't sneak out of the house and talk to strangers.

I am still not sure that Bryce gets the stranger part. The policeman asked if he was a stranger and Bryce said no. I asked Bryce if he knew him (which we DID NOT know his name) he said yes he was a policeman. Unfortunately, these days they have to be taught to be weary of people dressed like police/firemen! I gave it to him that time and did not lecture on that. The policeman said "I have an idea, lets go inside." He took him to the office and asked if Bryce knew anyone in there (they were all in plain clothes). Bryce said they were not strangers. The officer asked if Bryce knew there names, he said he forgot them (we have NEVER met any of them before). One of the ladies asked Bryce if he would leave with her if she gave him candy. HE SAID YES!!

I think the window thing is taken care of. The policeman took him to the "interview room", which is literally big enough for a small desk, two chairs and for you to walk on one side of the desk to get to the chair. The walls were padded. He opened the door, DID NOT turn on the lights and asked "Does this look like a fun room? Do you see any toys?" Bryce looks around, goes and looks under the desk and behind the pads on the wall. "No, there is nothing in here." he finally said. "This is where you get to go if you sneak out of your house again. It is dark, there are no toys, no food - but bread, no spagetti o's!!! You just get to sit." The police officer explained. "You don't even get to see anyone, like your Mommy or Daddy or brothers!" Bryce's eyes got big and he quietly backed out of the room. I wish I had a camera - his expression - PRICELESS!

I feel better about him sneaking out (or NOT sneaking out). I am still really leary and scared about the strangers though. I wish the police officer had spent more time talking about that. Maybe we need to have a Police party and see if we can get a policeman to come over and talk about Stranger Danger - because what I am trying to tell them is NOT getting through! I will have to see about getting some of the kids friends to come over for it!

The policeman got quite a kick out of the fact that I am having to worry about a four year old sneaking out of the house. He asked if there were locks on the window. I told him there were regular window locks, but I was scared to put extra locks that he could not undo because of fire. He could not believe that Bryce could undo the locks (not sure why - but I guess Bryce is not a normal four year old!!). As we were walking down the hall the officer was telling everyone that he snuck out of the house at FOUR!! I explained that I had four boys and did not think the four year old would be the one I had to worry about that with - YET! I explained to him that Bryce is just a very curious little boy and his curiousity often gets him in trouble - because it is ALWAYS hands on curiousity!