My mother put a bowl of pies on the table and said that we could sit down for supper. It was so cold outside that all the family wanted to drink warm tea and snuggle up in a soft blanket. The son ate some cakes and began to fiddle with the toys.
– Get more, my son! You look very thoughtful today! – said Mama.
– Uncle from police came to school today.
– Did he tell you something interesting?
– Yeah. Told us how to live a good life. Turns out we make a lot of mistakes.
– What do you mean?
– Well, you think of me as a kid, but I’m a person.
– So then what?
– I have rights that you and Daddy have to respect.
– Give me an example,” Mom said in exasperation.
– You can’t raise your voice, you can’t interfere in your personal life…
– Do you already have a personal life?
– I want to play on the computer after school, and you forbid me. I obey and start doing homework, although I have every right to continue playing. Yes, and you should not make me eat vegetables – a violation of the right of free choice. I’m not talking about the belt. You know, I can be removed from the family. The teacher also punishes me illegally. If she leaves me after school, I can call the police and record the violation.
– Don’t you feel sorry for her? You could go to jail.
– I do, but why would she infringe on my rights?
Mom went to wash the dishes, and my son began to write something on a sheet of paper. Then he ran over to mom and handed her the message: “50 rubles for cleaning, 30 rubles for walking the dog, and 20 rubles to get some bread. Debt 130 rubles for last week”.
After the woman read the text, she asked her son:
– Does mom have any rights?
– Of course, you’re all grown up.
– Then now I’ll write too.
She wrote something on a piece of paper and laughed. And then she almost cried when she gave the letter to her son:
“Cleaning, laundry, cooking, going to school, attending parent-teacher conferences, holidays. The excitement, the treatment, the support. The first sleepless nights, the millions of sick days, the gray hair at a young age, finding you through the woods at camp. All the worries and anxieties. It’s free. Why? Because I love you!”
The son hugged his mother and brushed a tear off his cheek. They went to the bedroom together to rest. It had really been a hard day…
