I like to be helpful around the house, but sometimes I just end up creating more work. Take the end of Sunday breakfast, for example. Joshua’s a major mess in his high chair, and I get up, go get a washcloth, and begin to wipe all the homemade blueberry syrup off his face (the whole time thinking to myself, “This is good for about 5 points. Add that to the other 10 points I earned being helpful yesterday, and tonight I’ll be all set). The problem is, I just came up to him and began to wipe away! He immediately started to squirm and fuss, kicked his highchair tray, made an even bigger mess, and a peaceful end of breakfast turned into chaos.

In steps Cheryl. She takes the washcloth and says, “You just have to SPEAK to him.” She gently talks to Joshua and turns wiping his face into a fun game. Of course, he sits there delighted and lets her do it. It’s amazing how this kind of thing is so automatic for Cheryl, and most moms.

Darn, I could have thought of that, if I’d had an hour to think it through and plan. But us dads are so often in such a hurry to get things done that we forget to slow down and enjoy the tasks of parenting.

So now I’m minus 20 points. I’d have been better off if I had just stayed in my chair and let Cheryl do the whole thing from the beginning.