My Son Almost Got Me Arrested

I took my three children on a road trip. We were stopping in some busy cities so we had gone over what to do if they get separated and what to do if someone tries to kidnap them. They were also told to keep hold of either my hand or my husband’s hand. My kids are relatively well behaved so I had faith that I would not lose them on this trip. It was actually very easy not to lose any of my kids since they can be clingy in unfamiliar places.

But on the way home, my six-year-old son thought it would be funny to pretend that me and my husband were kidnapping him and his siblings.

Image: Giphy

We were stopped at a gas station. He rolled his window down a little and told the people in the car behind us that him and his siblings were trapped in our car by evil people who were not his parents. Now that I remember it I believe that I saw a man staring at us talking his phone. I thought he craned his neck at the back of our car (probably getting our license a plate) but I told myself I imagined it.

Around thirty minutes later we are on the highway and my husband sees a police car in his mirror. He tells me to pull over because I’m speeding. A small argument ensues between us since I was NOT SPEEDING.

The police officer walks up and pulls out two pairs of handcuffs. My husband laughed and asked him how fast we were going. The officer flared at him and said we were following the speed limit just fine but we were kidnapping three young children. We both stared at him and exclaimed, ”Our kids?” He rolled his eyes and said they had received an anonymous tip that we were trapping three young children in the car.

That was when my son started giggling and saying, ”I did it, Mommy!” I stared at him. The police officer just nodded and said that he was brave to alert a man who called the police.

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They made us get out of the car, and then they cuffed us. I was freaking out! My kids started crying and saying not to take Mommy and Daddy away. The cop looked unsure until my giggling son explained the whole story. Then we made him apologize and the officer gave him a lecture about how young children do get kidnapped and that it was not something to joke about.

So our road trip ended on a little bit of a low note but at least my kids have learned a lesson.

My three-year-old was also happy to meet a police officer. I am just so glad that my son was honest. I really don’t know what would have happened if he wasn’t. He was very mad at me when I grounded him, but hey, you can’t win ’em all.

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Anonymous Mom is a column of motherhood confessions, indiscretions, and parental shortcomings selected by Mommyish editors. Under this anonymous byline, readers can share their own stories, secrets, and moments of weakness with complete anonymity.

(Image: iStock/BrianAJackson)