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.
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.
A blonde teenage boy playing computer games | Source: Midjourney
Here’s 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.
If he wasn’t locked in his room yelling at virtual characters, he was glued to his chair, inhaling chips like a vacuum.
I tried to get him interested in other stuff by starting a “let’s talk about feelings” conversation. It didn’t work. My husband tried the “be the fun dad” approach with the promise of going to a baseball game if Noah managed to catch the ball with him outside. This didn’t work either.
A blonde man holding a baseball mitt smiling in the hallway of a home | Source: Midjourney
Unfortunately, our kid was morphing into a mushroom before us, and I couldn’t watch it anymore. Some parents would be pleased to have a child who didn’t make a lot of noise and took care of himself.
It was true. Noah was fairly independent for a gamer boy, and his room was always organized, even if it smelled like teenage sweat.
But he wasn’t eating well unless it was junk food, and he simply wasn’t going outside. He was also so pale that he might as well be called Count Orlok.
A blonde teenage boy playing computer games with chips on his desk | Source: Midjourney
Therefore, I came up with THE PLAN. I hesitated because I wasn’t a fan of being such a strict mom to a good kid, but my husband and I finally took the plunge.
We banned his favorite game outright. No more “League of Whatever.” Yes, it was pretty harsh, and Noah protested like never before. When that didn’t work, he stopped speaking to us. He would also shut himself in his room after slamming the door.
An angry blonde teenage boy in a hallway | Source: Midjourney
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.
My husband was worried, but I told him this was perfect.
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.
A blonde teen boy and man watching television | Source: Midjourney
It was another screen, but at least, he was spending time with other people. Eventually, he started going outside, saying things like, “I’m going to get some air.”
It sounded suspiciously like, “I’m reinventing myself as a social butterfly and starting over.” Maybe he hoped we’d change our minds about the ban if he was good. But we weren’t going to; our plan was working.
A blonde teenage boy walking outside through a front door | Source: Midjourney
Whenever he left our house, his father and I exchanged knowing looks. We knew he was up to something.
“He’s trying to sneak out to play games somewhere else,” I told my husband.
He scrunched his nose. “It’s possible, but going to play games with a friend is better than staying home. Right? Let’s just keep an eye on him for now,” he replied.
A thoughtful-looking blonde man sitting at a kitchen table | Source: Midjourney
I agreed, but one evening, around two weeks after we instituted the game ban, I walked by the hallway and noticed Noah’s door slightly ajar. That was unusual.
I peeked inside.
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.
It wasn’t Noah.
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.
Scarecrow made from a hoodie sitting on a desk gaming computer | Source: Midjourney
So, this was his way of rebelling against the game ban. But instead of being angry, I was delighted!
He was acting like a real teenager, and maybe, he was socializing more!
I went to my bedroom and told my husband. He wanted to scold him, but I had another idea. “Let’s not confront him yet. Let him think he’s fooling us! This is better than therapy,” I suggested.
He agreed reluctantly, but I could tell he was worried.
A worried blonde man sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
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.
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 “went for air” at night.
A worried blonde woman in a living room | Source: Midjourney
We were careful to drive slowly and a good distance away, so he wouldn’t notice our car. He reached a local park just five minutes from our house.
I frowned, confused, as this wasn’t what I’d expected. I thought he’d go to a friend’s house to keep gaming.
Instead, my son sat on the nearest bench illuminated by a lamppost with a sketchpad in hand and began drawing.
I nudged my husband. “Since when does Noah draw?”
He shrugged but gestured back to our son and whispered, “And who’s that girl?”
A surprised blonde man looking outside from the driver’s seat of a car | Source: Midjourney
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.
THEY LOOKED IN LOVE! Well, maybe I was exaggerating, but this was better than I ever imagined!
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.
A blonde teenage boy and a teenage girl sitting on a bench in a park at night | Source: Midjourney
Meanwhile, we stayed hidden in our car with the engine off, watching them.
“Should we talk to him?” I whispered, although they definitely wouldn’t be able to hear me.
“No,” my husband replied, grinning. “Let him have his moment.”
We waited until Noah and the girl packed up their things and walked away together. I assumed they were heading to her home.
A blonde teenage boy and a teenage girl walking on a sidewalk next to a park at night | Source: Midjourney
Once they were gone, we started the car and drove home.
I was still buzzing with excitement.
“Our son is… normal!” I exclaimed.
“Let’s not jinx it,” my husband chuckled.
But our joy was short-lived.
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.
“Good evening. Are you the residents here?” the older officer asked.
An older cop and a younger cop wait on the porch of a house | Source: Midjourney
“Yes,” I said as I walked up to them. “Is something wrong?”
“We 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.”
My husband and I exchanged wide-eyed looks, barely suppressing our laughter.
“Oh! Oh no,” I said, still trying to keep a straight face. “Please come in. We can explain.”
Once inside, I led the officers to Noah’s room and pointed to the scarecrow. “That’s who you’ve been watching,” I said.
A blonde woman smiling and pointing her finger in the hallway of a home | Source: Midjourney
The officers stared at the figure in disbelief.
The youger one soon began chuckling. “He made a scarecrow to sneak out?” he asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed, grinning. “It’s… a long story.”
Just then, the front door opened, and Noah walked in. He froze when he saw the police officers.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his face paling.
The officers turned to him. “We’re here because someone thought you’d been sitting in your room for hours without moving.”
An older cop and a younger cop looking at someone in a living room | Source: Midjourney
Noah’s face turned red. “It’s a scarecrow,” he muttered.
“We noticed,” the older officer said dryly. “Quite creative. Next time, though, leave a note saying ‘Gone Fishing’ or something.”
