Concentrating upon what to do next, get yourselves some top class security. If you don't, you will never be happy sleeping there. Tell your lad that the Police caught the men and they are going to prison.
My house was burgled on Christmas Eve when I was about that age. Knocked all the presents under the tree. No one saw them so just found it in the morning. 28 years later and I still remember the feeling of being unnerved for a few days. I would let your son enjoy his holiday by not telling him. It's only trainers, make out they were left outside and disappeared over night or something.
I agree wholeheartedly with everyones advice in not telling your son if at all possible. I caught a burglar coming into my house at the age of eight and it took me years to get over. Spent so many years petrified at night times just staring out of my window at all hours just in case a burglar came again
Bloody hell, I hope you are OK KHA. I think your response was very brave and level-headed.
Sorry folks, but I think most of you are being unrealistic when they say don't tell your son. I'm not saying that you have to go into details, but at some stage I just don't think you'll get away with total silence. If you can, all well and good. But I expect the boy will sense something wrong and will start asking questions - not least when he can't find his shoes. When the crunch comes it'll be better for all of you to be honest rather than trying to maintain some fantasy land response.
Everyone in the whole family is bound to be acting a bit odd today. Everyone's going to be upset and everyone's going to be a little jumpy. People are going to want to talk about it (not necessarily talking through details - my just wanting to mutter "bastards" and the like for a whie) for their own reasons and it will only make it worse for the rest of the family if they are hushed. Your son will pick up on this. It is better for him to understand the truth than to try and second guess what's gone on. I think you need to be open and honest about the trainers. I would hold back about the knife, as theres no need to go into that level of detail. But you do need to explain the missing shoes and honesty is always the best policy.
A horrible and probably terrifying experience. I am glad that all ended comparatively well and that no-one was hurt .. to state the obvious, stolen possessions can always be replaced .. I get the impression that UK tourists are becoming more and more the target for villains in many worldwide tourist resorts, Spain has been getting worse and worse in this respect for quite a while, local unemployment, drug addictions, 'wealthy' tourists as targets all impact on crime and violence. You state that the villain with the 10" inch knife spoke to and threatened you, was he English, spoke English or do you speak some Spanish ? As to telling your son, you know him better than anyone except for his mother, no-one can advice you on the best course of action regarding telling him what has happened. All the very best for the future. I hope that 'lightning' never strikes again
Wow, I have a wildly different opinion to most. I would sit your son down and explain to him what has happened and that this does go on. Honesty is the best policy and will stop you tangling a web of lies as he questions with curiousity your made up story. Treat your son like an adult and his response may well be adult like about it.
Glad that all concerned are ok, that's the main thing!! Explain that to him and that trainers are just a possession that's replaceable.
As others have said I am pleased everyone has emerged unscathed from a terrifying incident.
First rule is know your own child but I would not tell the child if it can be avoided. I know from personal experience that traumatic events from childhood, and even teenage years, can leave scars that last a lifetime and shape attitudes to coping with what ordinary people would take in their everyday stride with scarcely another thought.
Having said that I would not lie to the boy if he asks direct questions. If the intruders woke you then they may have woken him too but he pretended to be asleep still. If he says "did someone come in our room dad?" then give him an unsensationalised version of events eg you don't need to mention the knife just that someone came in. Trust between parent and child is important too.
I hope this horrible incident doesn't blight the rest of your holiday.
It was then that the third man, who had been in my Dad's bedroom when I chased the other two off approached me with a ten inch kitchen knife and advised me that if I made a noise he would kill me. He told me twice, just for the avoidance of doubt, I presume. He was not very big and was probably bluffing, but I didn't have the time to think about it.
I wouldn't presume he was bluffing. My brother, jimmymelrose on here, got into an altercation on Tuesday with a guy running an attraction at a fair where they live in France as he thought they had been conned by him and he suddenly pulled a knife and slit him from his ear to under his chin. Thankfully it didn't sever any major arteries etc but another centimetre or two and it could have done and who knows what the outcome would have been.
Point is, life is cheap to these people and if they have a knife then I'd presume that they would be more than prepared to use it.
It was then that the third man, who had been in my Dad's bedroom when I chased the other two off approached me with a ten inch kitchen knife and advised me that if I made a noise he would kill me. He told me twice, just for the avoidance of doubt, I presume. He was not very big and was probably bluffing, but I didn't have the time to think about it.
I wouldn't presume he was bluffing. My brother, jimmymelrose on here, got into an altercation on Tuesday with a guy running an attraction at a fair where they live in France as he thought they had been conned by him and he suddenly pulled a knife and slit him from his ear to under his chin. Thankfully it didn't sever any major arteries etc but another centimetre or two and it could have done and who knows what the outcome would have been.
Point is, life is cheap to these people and if they have a knife then I'd presume that they would be more than prepared to use it.
f f s .. what the fuck is going on in the world today !!!
It was then that the third man, who had been in my Dad's bedroom when I chased the other two off approached me with a ten inch kitchen knife and advised me that if I made a noise he would kill me. He told me twice, just for the avoidance of doubt, I presume. He was not very big and was probably bluffing, but I didn't have the time to think about it.
I wouldn't presume he was bluffing. My brother, jimmymelrose on here, got into an altercation on Tuesday with a guy running an attraction at a fair where they live in France as he thought they had been conned by him and he suddenly pulled a knife and slit him from his ear to under his chin. Thankfully it didn't sever any major arteries etc but another centimetre or two and it could have done and who knows what the outcome would have been.
Point is, life is cheap to these people and if they have a knife then I'd presume that they would be more than prepared to use it.
Bloody hell, I hope Dave is going to be OK. What a terrible thing to happen.
Sorry to hear about the event KHA. Stealing a kids trainers and threatening a family with a knife, I hope they find justice in way of falling down a cliff.
And sorry to hear about that event @LargeAddick that is awful aswell.
HI, yes he should be fine. It was a silly argument over €6 but to David it was the principle of the matter. Happened in front of his two little 'uns and they were obviously very upset and scared to see their Dad covered in blood. As said it thankfully missed any major arteries etc but he needed an op as it did some muscle damage. Hopefully he'll make a speedy recovery. The Police managed to find and arrest the guy responsible so will be interesting to see the outcome of his prosecution.
HI, yes he should be fine. It was a silly argument over €6 but to David it was the principle of the matter. Happened in front of his two little 'uns and they were obviously very upset and scared to see their Dad covered in blood. As said it thankfully missed any major arteries etc but he needed an op as it did some muscle damage. Hopefully he'll make a speedy recovery. The Police managed to find and arrest the guy responsible so will be interesting to see the outcome of his prosecution.
Please pass on my best wishes as I've not seen him on here for a while.
Most people say that when burgled its not what the burglers take that hurts, but more the invasion of privacy and feeling of security that leaves the most damming effect.
Advise on whether you tell your son or not...hmmm, there are arguments on both sides.
Overall I would say protect him from the thought of it. He might be a mature lad, but if he doesnt need to know then he doesnt need to know.
If his shoes have been nicked and the windows need repairing then he's going to know something's up. You don't need to go into the full gory details of what happened, but someone broke in, you heard a noise and chased them away would be enough. For the record, we got burgled when I was nine, and it didn't massively traumatise me. I was just pissed off cos it was the day after my birthday, and they nicked the watch I'd got as a present. Better for him to know that bad things sometimes happen, and we can deal with that and move on, than to shield him from them entirely.
My best guess would be Middle Eastern. His accent wasn't Spanish and he was talking in broken English but was clear enough.
However I am only guessing he only said one sentence to me, all be it that he said it twice. I be able to identify any of them either.
The window has been bolted shit permanently until it is replaced so we are completely secure tonight. It's just one of those things - not very nice but it is what it is.
I've kept it frommy son and I'm not going to tell him anything for the foreseeable future. I don't like 'lying' to him but I think that is the better of two evils. Besides I've been lying to him about Santa Clause for a decade so...
That is terrible KHA. My Dad had a similar thing at his house a year ago so I know how difficult it can be dealing with it. Hope you and your family can move on quickly.
Can't offer advice, only sympathy. Can only imagine how you felt.
Large's bro is very lucky to be alive. I know someone who had that done under general anaesthetic by a skilled surgeon for a good reason (removal of a tumour) and it took about six hours because there is so much vital stuff in that part of your neck that you cant afford to cut. And some random jerk just does it. Surely bang to rights as attempted murder.
Comments
there's Scum in every country not just the uk
Glad no ones hurt but don't be a hero
Sorry folks, but I think most of you are being unrealistic when they say don't tell your son. I'm not saying that you have to go into details, but at some stage I just don't think you'll get away with total silence. If you can, all well and good. But I expect the boy will sense something wrong and will start asking questions - not least when he can't find his shoes. When the crunch comes it'll be better for all of you to be honest rather than trying to maintain some fantasy land response.
Everyone in the whole family is bound to be acting a bit odd today. Everyone's going to be upset and everyone's going to be a little jumpy. People are going to want to talk about it (not necessarily talking through details - my just wanting to mutter "bastards" and the like for a whie) for their own reasons and it will only make it worse for the rest of the family if they are hushed. Your son will pick up on this. It is better for him to understand the truth than to try and second guess what's gone on. I think you need to be open and honest about the trainers. I would hold back about the knife, as theres no need to go into that level of detail. But you do need to explain the missing shoes and honesty is always the best policy.
You state that the villain with the 10" inch knife spoke to and threatened you, was he English, spoke English or do you speak some Spanish ?
As to telling your son, you know him better than anyone except for his mother, no-one can advice you on the best course of action regarding telling him what has happened.
All the very best for the future. I hope that 'lightning' never strikes again
First rule is know your own child but I would not tell the child if it can be avoided. I know from personal experience that traumatic events from childhood, and even teenage years, can leave scars that last a lifetime and shape attitudes to coping with what ordinary people would take in their everyday stride with scarcely another thought.
Having said that I would not lie to the boy if he asks direct questions. If the intruders woke you then they may have woken him too but he pretended to be asleep still. If he says "did someone come in our room dad?" then give him an unsensationalised version of events eg you don't need to mention the knife just that someone came in. Trust between parent and child is important too.
I hope this horrible incident doesn't blight the rest of your holiday.
Point is, life is cheap to these people and if they have a knife then I'd presume that they would be more than prepared to use it.
Bloody hell, I hope Dave is going to be OK. What a terrible thing to happen.
And sorry to hear about that event @LargeAddick that is awful aswell.
The world is a feckin messed up place.
The most important thing is that you're all safe and unharmed. Just invest in some security lighting and an alarm though.
Take care!
You was brave and thought on your feet.
Most people say that when burgled its not what the burglers take that hurts, but more the invasion of privacy and feeling of security that leaves the most damming effect.
Advise on whether you tell your son or not...hmmm, there are arguments on both sides.
Overall I would say protect him from the thought of it. He might be a mature lad, but if he doesnt need to know then he doesnt need to know.
Go with your heart on that one.
All the best.
However I am only guessing he only said one sentence to me, all be it that he said it twice. I be able to identify any of them either.
The window has been bolted shit permanently until it is replaced so we are completely secure tonight. It's just one of those things - not very nice but it is what it is.
I've kept it frommy son and I'm not going to tell him anything for the foreseeable future. I don't like 'lying' to him but I think that is the better of two evils. Besides I've been lying to him about Santa Clause for a decade so...
As Fiiiiish asked...what is this world coming to ?
I wouldn't tell my kids, god forbid such a situation should ever happen.
Large's bro is very lucky to be alive. I know someone who had that done under general anaesthetic by a skilled surgeon for a good reason (removal of a tumour) and it took about six hours because there is so much vital stuff in that part of your neck that you cant afford to cut. And some random jerk just does it. Surely bang to rights as attempted murder.
How's your brother doing did the guy who did it get nicked