Confinement of children; My five year old is struggling, he's a gregarious sort, misses his friends and especially his granny A LOT. Yesterday morning we had a disagreement; the younger one had done his work so earned his oatcake but older one was refusing to rake the sand into the lawn and pick stones off. I held firm; do the five minutes of work and you'll get the oatcake.
After a few minutes, looked up, older son not visible in garden. Called, ran round searching and calling round the trees behind garden, play house and alerted tractor drivers working in the yard and sheds next door who started looking for him as well.
Decided he must be further afield. Put little one in car, battery flat, back in house for other keys, move car seat and youngest. Down to main road, along to nearest farm. They hadn't seen him. Drove towards granny's house, phoned ahead, she hadn't seen him but would start looking. Drove the other way and here he was walking up the lane, tailed by a concerned neighbour in a car. Half a mile from home, he'd run all the way. Called off the search and contemplated chaining him to the washing line but he's like one of those dogs that would just choke himself. He needs a six foot fence to contain him but he's been over a few of those. Not sure how to confine him. He doesn't do well inside. Wondered about taking his boots off him to slow him down but that's not really ethical. He did rake the sand and pick off the stones and get his oatcake.
