"I love you!"

"Dad, you're the best father in the whole world. Let's talk."

Uh-oh. I can feeling something coming . . . "Okay, what do you want?"

I shouldn't always assume that my children have some pre-planned agenda when they come and lavish praises on my such as these, but I am often correct in anticipating that something is coming. My kids often don't mind trying, realizing that my answer will often be "no."

• "No, I'm not buying another family car."
• "No, I don't think everyone needs an iPad."
• No, I'm not going to take you out to dinner tonight."
• "No, I won't do your chores. Just because I won't clean the bathroom for you doesn't mean I don't love you."

This said, there are many times when we can and should say YES:

• "Yes, you can come and talk to me any time of day or night."
• "Yes, I made a mistake, and I'm sorry."
• "Yes, you are right, and I am wrong."

I often have to suspend judgement before I leap to a conclusion on why my kids tell me they love me. I many cases, they simply mean it. 


Randall