Dear Maisy,

Several weeks ago I unknowingly handed over the feeding the dog responsibility.  One morning, just like all the others, you were following me around from room to room as I got ready to the sound of your endless (and repetitive) question asking.  Each morning I’d cycle through my options by answering each and every question as they came, ignoring you briefly to see if you realized you already knew the answer, redirecting by trying to make toys or crafts sound more appealing, asking you oh-so-nicely to please stop asking me questions and do anything else, lecturing you about how big girls entertain themselves and sometimes finally getting so fed up that I’d ultimately end up yelling at you to please do anything else but continue your attack of questions.  This particular morning my tactic changed.  As your steady stream of gibber gabber attacked my ears, I spotted the hungry dog before my eyes.

Me, in that over-exaggeratedly, beyond excited parent tone, “Maisy, I have a great idea, do you want to feed Haley?”

“Yeah!”

And I struck gold!  I have fed Haley maybe 3 times in the last 6 weeks!  You are all over it and loving the responsibility!

I’m also very proud of you.  What a big girl thing to do and you’ve taken so much ownership of it.  You fill her dish with the proper portions at breakfast and dinner (and they are different), you stand, tell Haley to stay, then say “ok” just the way I taught you.  I love that this small task not only relieves me from answering questions for a breath but that it has created a special bond between you and Haley and that you are saving me the trouble of the task.  In fact, you are such a reliable dog caretaker that I don’t even think about feeding Haley anymore.

I love you Maisy, you’re awesome.

Love,

Mommy