Mick, I had actually gone out to replace a winter coat that one of the boys left somewhere???? We were back within the hour. You should have stopped by if you were only a few minutes away.

The only issue now is the combination of encouraging my son to talk it out and not scaring 12 year old girls to sleepless nights fearing they are next. There have been lots of security checks here abouts the last few days. And some frank discussions on why fighting first is not the best option. The opinion of my husband's negotiation skills has risen at work. And I've learnt way more than I ever wanted to know about folks usual pattern of bedtime attire (or lack thereof). Have we had a thread on that ???

Rap, I've been in situations where the first two options weren't enough, but that truly only renforces that violence needs to be a last resort. My first priority is that my kids feel safe and we seem to be well on the road to making that happen. Yes, we are checking locks at a more frequent rate, but because things never felt out of control that particular atmosphere never took hold. All care and concern is truely appreiciated.

tink