A stepmother went to pick up her stepson last winter at school. When the stepson came out to get in the car, he wasn't wearing a coat. The temperature was 15 degrees below zero with a wind chill factor of 35-below. It was the coldest day of the year.

As the child climbed into the car, the stepmother asked, "Where is your coat?" The stepson explained that his mother wouldn't let him wear his coat because she was sure that he would leave it at his father's and stepmother's house, and she didn't want that to happen.

With this piece of information, the stepmother started yelling about this kid's crazy mother. She then got on the telephone and told the boy's father what a jerk the mother was. As soon as the father got off the telephone with his wife, he called his lawyer and repeated the story. The lawyer responded, and I quote, "This borders on criminal neglect."

The lawyer then proposed to write threatening letters to this neglectful mother as well as to her lawyer.

That night while the stepmother was stewing about her stepson not having a coat, she decided to run out and buy him a new coat in his favorite colors. She certainly did not intend to be a neglectful parent.

The following morning was Saturday. Dad took his son to the gym. And behold, the shivering boy just happened to be looking through the lost-and-found articles and found the coat that his mother was unwilling to let him take to his father's and stepmother's house.

Smartly, the boy confided in his father that he had found his coat. The father now had to quickly call off the lawyer before he sent the letters proclaiming "criminal neglect."

The moral of this story:

• Look before you leap
• Don't jump to conclusions
• Think before you act
• Sleep on it
• Everything is not always as it seems.

Check out Doris’ latest books, “The Boy Whose Idea Could Feed the World,” “The Parent Teacher Discussion Guide,“ and “Thin Becomes You” at Doris’ web page: http://www.doriswildhelmering.com.