Parenting by ESP

Our Miss M did not have the best Monday ever at school yesterday. I think that's just what happens sometimes, following a break, you know? Anyway, we were sitting at the YMCA, watching E's dance class & waiting for M's to start while she was giving me the (dramatic) blow by blow of her day. I listened, tried to empathize, and tried to gently suggest that perhaps she might have been overreacting just a smidge?

She glowered at me and said, "UGH! Why do I even tell you this stuff! You sound exactly like Dad!" (Which, I took as a good sign that P & I are pretty much on the same page with this parenting stuff).

We decided to go burn off some of her anger energy by walking/running on the track upstairs. P was up there in one of the weight rooms, and as we cruised by, he popped out to say howdy. I said, "M just told me about her day (he had picked them up from school, not me, and we all met up at the gym) and she said I sounded just like you did when she told you."

He said, "What?! She never told me anything about her bad day! She just said she wanted to wait and talk to you!" We looked at M, who sheepishly said, "Well, you sounded just like what I knew he would have said if I had talked to him about it!"

P said, "Wow, I'm a pretty good parent! I don't even have to talk! Great having that discussion with you, M!" And then we laughed. And laughed. And that was probably the best cure for a bad day, anyway!