A single father recounts a story about his 7-year-old son, Jacob, who broke the rules by bringing his Game Boy to school. The father, who was strict due to being a single parent with limited financial resources, had warned Jacob that if he caught him bringing the Game Boy to school again, he would throw it away. When Jacob did bring the Game Boy to school again, the father followed through on his threat and threw it away in the trash chute. Before doing so, he had a conversation with Jacob, explaining that actions have consequences and that he wants Jacob to be happy and better off than him. Jacob learned a valuable lesson, and the father was proud of him for understanding the importance of consequences. The story is a humorous and relatable account of parenting and the challenges that come with it.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker has three kids and was a single parent.
2. The speaker lived in Los Angeles and made $1,000 per month.
3. The speaker's son, Jacob, was 7 years old at the time of the story.
4. Jacob had a Game Boy that cost $200, which was a significant purchase for the speaker.
5. The speaker was strict with Jacob and had rules that he expected him to follow.
6. Jacob brought his Game Boy to school, which was against the rules.
7. The speaker found out about the Game Boy and told Jacob that he would throw it away if he brought it to school again.
8. Jacob had a $20 bill in his backpack, which the speaker did not know about.
9. The speaker asked Jacob about the $20 bill, and Jacob initially denied knowing anything about it.
10. The speaker told Jacob that the car was a "punishment-free zone" to get Jacob to open up.
11. Jacob revealed that another boy, Trevor, had stuck his finger in a cat's butt.
12. The speaker did not have a cat, and the incident must have happened with a neighbor's cat.
13. The speaker decided to bust Jacob for bringing the Game Boy to school and threw it away in the trash chute.
14. The speaker told Jacob that he had X-ray vision, which Jacob remembered later.
15. After throwing away the Game Boy, the speaker told Jacob that he wanted him to be happy and have a better life than he did.
16. Jacob learned that his father does what he says and that there are consequences to actions.
17. Jacob wanted to get the Game Boy back and was willing to go through the trash to get it.
18. The speaker found out that Jacob had gone through the trash to get the Game Boy back.