Becoming a parent is the ultimate test of your patience and restraint. Your children are going to do some very questionable things and you’ll have to learn how to react in an appropriate way.
This story is the ultimate test of will. One curious toddler made a very expensive mess for his parents when he stumbled upon their paper shredder.
Thankfully, they had a sense of humor about the whole situation and shared their story online.
We all know having a child means that your bank account will take a hit.
Kids are expensive. Since my son is a toddler and goes through a growth spurt every two weeks, that means that he basically gets a new wardrobe every month, while I shop at the thrift store for myself.
We also know that kids make a mess.
Kids and messes go together like peanut butter and jelly. I’ve learned that if my son is being quiet that I should be suspicious because he’s probably busy making a mess.
In terms of expensive messes, two-year-old Leo might hold the record.
He looks all innocent riding his bike now, but this kid let his curiosity make a costly clean-up for his parents.
Ben Belapp and his wife had been saving up money to buy football tickets.
When they went to retrieve the cash, which was being held in an envelope, it was nowhere to be found.
Ben’s wife, Jackie, decided to check the paper shredder.
To their horror, they discovered the bills which had been put through the shredder by their toddler.
That’s right. He fed that shredder an entire stack of bills, and it gobbled them up like Cookie Monster (but not as cute).
Also, this photo was taken AFTER they separated what was left of the money from the rest of the paper in the shredder.
Ben tweeted about the whole incident to the delight and horror of Twitter.
Ben’s tweet quickly when viral, gaining over 72,000 re-tweets. Most people took this story as a PSA to never leave your toddler alone with a paper shredder.
If people were on the fence about having kids, they weren’t after hearing about this story.
This tweet should be shown to anyone who is considering having kids. If they can react calmly to the idea of having $1000 being shredded by their toddler, then they’re free to have as many kids as they’d like.
In some cases, there were no words to describe their reactions.
It’s a lot to take in. Losing $1000 is a lot of money, and to know that your child is responsible? This would be a huge dilemma for many parents.
On the bright side, Ben and Jackie were able to turn this into a positive story.
When his tweet starting gaining traction, Ben shared a link to Lifting Hands International which helps refugees. Hopefully, some people who saw his tweet donated to this important cause.
Way to go, Belnap family!
