{"id":1132,"date":"2025-04-26T03:30:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T02:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/?p=1132"},"modified":"2025-04-26T03:30:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T02:30:39","slug":"our-teenage-son-made-a-scarecrow-to-trick-us-into-thinking-he-was-home-while-sneaking-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/?p=1132","title":{"rendered":"Our Teenage Son Made a Scarecrow to Trick Us Into Thinking He Was Home While Sneaking Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After setting some rules about gaming to help our son spend less time in front of a screen, we thought we had everything under control. Then we discovered a scarecrow sitting at his desk, and soon after, the police showed up at our door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parenting teenagers is tough enough without them pulling elaborate stunts. But what my son did actually led to what my husband and I wanted for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the deal: my 13-year-old son, Noah, became a full-fledged teenage hermit who lived for gaming. His room had become a cave (and smelled like it). Also, the glow of a gaming monitor that never seemed to go off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If he wasn\u2019t locked in his room yelling at virtual characters, he was glued to his chair, inhaling chips like a vacuum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to get him interested in other stuff by starting a \u201clet\u2019s talk about feelings\u201d conversation. It didn\u2019t work. My husband tried the \u201cbe the fun dad\u201d approach with the promise of going to a baseball game if Noah managed to catch the ball with him outside. This didn\u2019t work either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, our kid was morphing into a mushroom before us, and I couldn\u2019t watch it anymore. Some parents would be pleased to have a child who didn\u2019t make a lot of noise and took care of himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was true. Noah was fairly independent for a gamer boy, and his room was always organized, even if it smelled like teenage sweat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he wasn\u2019t eating well unless it was junk food, and he simply wasn\u2019t going outside. He was also so pale that he might as well be called Count Orlok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, I came up with THE PLAN. I hesitated because I wasn\u2019t a fan of being such a strict mom to a good kid, but my husband and I finally took the plunge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We banned his favorite game outright. No more \u201cLeague of Whatever.\u201d Yes, it was pretty harsh, and Noah protested like never before. When that didn\u2019t work, he stopped speaking to us. He would also shut himself in his room after slamming the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I flinched whenever he slammed his door. But our son began doing it more often, meaning he was leaving his room to actually do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband was worried, but I told him this was perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah remained furious for the next few days and barely spoke to us, but sooner than I expected, he changed. His time spent outside his room became more frequent. Once, he even sat next to his father in complete silence and watched whatever game was on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was another screen, but at least, he was spending time with other people. Eventually, he started going outside, saying things like, \u201cI\u2019m going to get some air.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounded suspiciously like, \u201cI\u2019m reinventing myself as a social butterfly and starting over.\u201d Maybe he hoped we\u2019d change our minds about the ban if he was good. But we weren\u2019t going to; our plan was working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever he left our house, his father and I exchanged knowing looks. We knew he was up to something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s trying to sneak out to play games somewhere else,\u201d I told my husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He scrunched his nose. \u201cIt\u2019s possible, but going to play games with a friend is better than staying home. Right? Let\u2019s just keep an eye on him for now,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I agreed, but one evening, around two weeks after we instituted the game ban, I walked by the hallway and noticed Noah\u2019s door slightly ajar. That was unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I peeked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His chair was turned toward the screen, a hooded figure sitting in it, motionless. The screen was completely blank, so I stepped closer and touched his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t Noah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I blinked, then stifled a laugh. It was a scarecrow, or more accurately, it was a hoodie draped over a mop. Pillows were stuffed underneath to form a body. My little sneak had built a fake person to trick us and snuck out at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, this was his way of rebelling against the game ban. But instead of being angry, I was delighted!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was acting like a real teenager, and maybe, he was socializing more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went to my bedroom and told my husband. He wanted to scold him, but I had another idea. \u201cLet\u2019s not confront him yet. Let him think he\u2019s fooling us! This is better than therapy,\u201d I suggested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He agreed reluctantly, but I could tell he was worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah snuck out several nights in a row, always leaving the scarecrow in place. He would return with more than enough time to sleep a little before I woke him up for school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, though, I started worrying about the friends he might be meeting or the places he might be going to. So, we decided to follow him the next time he \u201cwent for air\u201d at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were careful to drive slowly and a good distance away, so he wouldn\u2019t notice our car. He reached a local park just five minutes from our house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I frowned, confused, as this wasn\u2019t what I\u2019d expected. I thought he\u2019d go to a friend\u2019s house to keep gaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, my son sat on the nearest bench illuminated by a lamppost with a sketchpad in hand and began drawing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nudged my husband. \u201cSince when does Noah draw?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugged but gestured back to our son and whispered, \u201cAnd who\u2019s that girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I turned and saw a pretty teenage girl walking over with a smile and sitting beside Noah with her own sketchpad. She showed him a page, and they both laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THEY LOOKED IN LOVE! Well, maybe I was exaggerating, but this was better than I ever imagined!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The park was peaceful and empty at night, and we knew it was a safe area. This was exactly what we wanted for him: fresh air and time with a friend, away from a screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, we stayed hidden in our car with the engine off, watching them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShould we talk to him?\u201d I whispered, although they definitely wouldn\u2019t be able to hear me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d my husband replied, grinning. \u201cLet him have his moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We waited until Noah and the girl packed up their things and walked away together. I assumed they were heading to her home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they were gone, we started the car and drove home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was still buzzing with excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur son is\u2026 normal!\u201d I exclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s not jinx it,\u201d my husband chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our joy was short-lived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we got back, two police officers were waiting on our doorstep. One was a stern-looking man in his 30s, while the other appeared younger and friendlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood evening. Are you the residents here?\u201d the older officer asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I said as I walked up to them. \u201cIs something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe received a call from a concerned neighbor. By the information we have, your son has been sitting motionless at his desk for hours. We came to check and make sure everything was alright.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband and I exchanged wide-eyed looks, barely suppressing our laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh! Oh no,\u201d I said, still trying to keep a straight face. \u201cPlease come in. We can explain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once inside, I led the officers to Noah\u2019s room and pointed to the scarecrow. \u201cThat\u2019s who you\u2019ve been watching,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The officers stared at the figure in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The younger one soon began chuckling. \u201cHe made a scarecrow to sneak out?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I confirmed, grinning. \u201cIt\u2019s\u2026 a long story.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just then, the front door opened, and Noah walked in. He froze when he saw the police officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked, his face paling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The officers turned to him. \u201cWe\u2019re here because someone thought you\u2019d been sitting in your room for hours without moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah\u2019s face turned red. \u201cIt\u2019s a scarecrow,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe noticed,\u201d the older officer said dryly. \u201cQuite creative. Next time, though, leave a note saying \u2018Gone Fishing\u2019 or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all laughed as the older officer cracked a smile, and my son\u2019s face got redder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the policemen left, my husband and I sat Noah down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew you were sneaking out all along,\u201d I said. \u201cWe followed you to the park.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah\u2019s jaw dropped. \u201cYou what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe saw you drawing,\u201d my husband added. \u201cAnd the girl. She seems nice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah groaned. \u201cYou guys are the worst.\u201d He slumped back in his chair, but a moment later, a small smile played on his lips. \u201cI do like drawing,\u201d he admitted. \u201cAnd\u2026 it feels good to be outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband and I smiled at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all we wanted,\u201d I said. \u201cBalance. Life isn\u2019t just about games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noah nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay, everything is out in the open now, but you can\u2019t sneak out anymore,\u201d my husband continued. \u201cYou need to tell us where you\u2019re going and who you\u2019ll be with. It\u2019s important for your safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our son nodded again, and we were all good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon after, we met his friend, Emily. She even came over to play \u201cLeague of Whatever\u201d with him (yes, we unbanned the game).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they also went out to the back porch and sketched there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a while now. Of course, Noah is still a gamer, but he balances it out. He even joined an art club at school. We haven\u2019t seen the scarecrow since, and Emily became his official first girlfriend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After setting some rules about gaming to help our son spend less time in front of a screen, we thought we had everything under control. […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1134,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132\/revisions\/1134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/time.amazingstory.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}