Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed

 

 

When my big kids were younger I came up with a plan to help them avoid getting into romantic relationships when they were so tender in age. I told my daughter, Megan, that if she would wait until she was sixteen until she kissed someone I would give her $100.  She thought that would be a great way to score some new clothes, so she kept her lips sealed, and on her sixteenth birthday I handed her an envelope with her money.  She paid her tithing, then went down to the mall to spend the loot. She was a pretty happy girl.

I offered the same deal to Jeff.  He kept himself to himself until the Halloween when he was fifteen. With four months to go until he reached the magical age, he went to a Halloween party in the Lake Highlands area dressed as the Jolly Green Giant.  This must have been a real turn-on to at least one young lady, because before the night was through she had green face paint smeared all over her face and Jeff had a little less on his, and he had given up his one hundred dollars.

What to do? I gave it some thought and came to the conclusion that I would give Jeff's money to John if he could hold out. So, if John could be make it until his 16th birthday he would get Jeff's money and his money.  What could a sixteen year old boy do with $200?  Surely he would be motivated to stay pure. Two months before he turned sixteen we sent him to EFY (Especially For Youth- an LDS Youth Retreat) in San Diego, California. The romantic atmosphere proved too much for him.  He met the love of his life and kissed his COW (crush of the week) many times.  He told me about it when I picked him up, claiming that the make-out time was definitely worth the $200 he had given up.  I am pretty sure they broke up about two weeks after EFY.

So, one kid was left.  Joe has had the promised blessing of three hundred dollars hanging over his head since he was seven years old. He promised me that he wouldn't be foolish like his brothers. But I know that the promises a seven year old makes sometimes fall by the way when the hormones start to flow. I came up with an addendum to my plan to make it interesting and fair to Megan who was never in line to reap the reward from her brother's weaknesses. I told Joe that if he kissed anyone before he turned sixteen that I would give the money to Megan, because she truly earned it.  Megan had visions of a new Coach purse. Joe was not going to give her the satisfaction.  When Joe came to stay with her for a few weeks during the past two summers she would introduce him to all of the cute young things in her ward and arrange for Joe to get acquainted with the California beach babes. The temptations were high, but Joe has stayed strong, and today he got his envelope with his hard earned money. His friend Claire agreed to pose for this picture with him.  I think it turned out great!

More good news...Joe has his first date planned for Saturday night.  One of the cheerleaders from RHS has invited him to be her date for dinner and Jump Street party. I am so happy he is going.  He knows several of the kids who will be there and I am sure he will have a good time.