Sidekick

My oldest daughter is at that perfect age where curiosity about what her dad does has transformed into an active desire to participate. I love it.

When I work out, she can’t wait to spot me or help or work out alongside me. When I’m blogging, she wants to talk about what I’m writing or even type a few words. She wants to type work emails and read them back to me. We read together, side-by-side, drinking the smoothies we made together.

I am so, so grateful for this. I tend to be a bit of a workaholic, so if my daughter wants to participate when I’m working, then we get great daddy-daughter time as well. We get to engage intellectually in a meaningful way.

I’ve made a commitment to say “yes” to as many of these requests as I possibly can. It’s so easy to reflexively say “no.” To try to keep your kids out from underfoot while you’re busy, and then to try to dedicate some specific corner of your schedule to “spending time with the kids” specifically. But that little corner shrinks and shrinks, and soon you’re listening to Cat’s In The Cradle and sobbing. I don’t want that.

I’d rather have a sidekick. An awesome little mini-adult that exists in my world, instead of a child that I force to stay in her own. A smart, rad human that learns to be a good person by helping me be a better one.

Plus, you’ve never had an accountability buddy like a seven-year-old that’s decided that your workout is daddy-daughter time! No skipping for me!