In our house, it only takes one “no” to stop things. If either my wife or I say “no” it doesn’t matter what the other parent says. We may talk about it privately after the fact, but as far as the kids are concerned, one “no” is all it takes.

You can understand, then, why they’re so careful about which one of us they approach.

The other afternoon, as I was downstairs getting a glass of water, our four-year old walked quietly up to me. “Daddy,” he asked. “Can we watch a show?”

I hesitated, looking around for his mom.

The little guy looked seriously at me, apparently reading my mind. “Momma said no,” he said. “But maybe she didn’t understand the question.”