To stand up or not?
We have a house that is being built across the street from us. The project has been going on for a few months so we have seen contractors come and go. They have started the painting process and I noticed the other day that there were a few cigarette buts in front of my house. The next day there were a few in my driveway and last night as I was coming home with my girls, the painters were leaving and I saw the passenger flick out a cigarette right into the middle of my yard.
My girls saw it and were appalled that they were littering. I was just mad. So I asked my girls to go inside and I told them I was going to go talk to someone. They knew what I was doing and wanted to be right in the middle of it. It was the end of the day, so I was just going over to see if the painters were coming back the next day. They were.
First thing this morning, my oldest asked me what I was going to do about the littering. I explained to her that I was going to go talk to them and explain that it wasn’t appreciated and they should stop. This pleased my 3rd grader to no end. I think it is because we are trying to really teach her what is right and wrong and it is something she deals with every day. It isn’t easy being a 3rd grader. So I knew that me standing up for what is right really meant something to her.
I did wait until after I had taken them to school. I didn’t know these people so I sure didn’t want my girls to see a real brawl. 
I went over and talked to the head painter. Her response was that they don’t flick cigarettes in peoples yard, just the street. I told her no that I even saw them do it and she could go check out my lawn to prove my point. She just said ok and I left. No brawl. 
But now I can tell my daughter what happened so that she can see that sometimes it isn’t easy being an adult either, but that we have to stand up for what we believe in. If not, we just end up with butts in our yard.
September 25th, 2007 at 3:18 am
I think this complete disreguard for others directly relates to “Experiment” entry. I am pretty shocked that after you approached the lead painter that she did not seem to care much at all that her crew has abosolutely not respect for other humans. That might sound a bit dramatic, but I truly believe that these small jesters bleed over in every aspect of associating with civilation. I appload you for talking to them and that you shared with your kids what you were doing. We need more talking and calling folks out when they express such unpolite behaviour. Not to cause an uproar, but to let people see how everyone can effect everyone. Can’t we all just be polite???