The screen door

We haven't had a screen door on our slider for a long time. Duncan put a hole in it and we never put one back on. This weekend Daddy installed a new screen door. Monday night, Daddy told me that John nearly put his foot thru the door. So that night at dinner, I explained why we had a new door and how to use it.

Yesterday afternoon, the kids and I had a snack on the deck. John was done eating so I told him to go inside and wash his hands. He got up and walked right into the screen door. He hit it so hard that he bent the frame and ripped the screen. I was stunned and so angry. The door was only there for 3 days. John was very upset. He knew Daddy put a lot of work into installing the door. When Daddy came home from work, he told John that John needed to pay for the replacement door. 

Daddy and John went to the store tonight and got a new screen door. John took the money out of his wallet and paid the cashier for the door. Daddy explained "He broke the last one. It's his responsibility to replace it." The cashier said "My Dad made me do the same thing." At dinner, John told Gillian and I that he bought a new screen door. John said "I think we should put a sign on it. So we know it's there!" I love John's idea. Hopefully it will help the kids to notice the screen door. 

We will be transferring money into John's bank account to cover the cost of the door. He needs to be held accountable for his actions, but we don't really expect him to pay for the door.