Son and I hung out after bed time

It was a big and busy day. The wife is out of town for business. My four-year old had his first swim lesson of this year, but it was in a new environment, a new instructor and a new style...he cried through all 40 minutes of it. But, he followed instructions and earned himself a treat. Next stop, hair cut. He's been handling that great for a while, so we both sat there: him serenely watching The Incredibles, and me listening to a younger kid crying because he was getting his first haircut.I smiled throughout the whole bawl session. It isn't always great to hear, but there's that endearing nugget of sympathy that always makes me laugh. Something about listening to a stressed out baby cry (not emergency pain cry, not hungry cry, not emotional betrayal cry...but that wailing that clearly expresses that this is the most stressful thing that baby has ever gone through) that is hilarious. At the checkout line, I patted the dad on the back.The afternoon was spent with the grandparents, where my boy watched videos and ate his favorite foods, and on the way back, he was too wired to behave right. Ended up getting a stern talking to, and sent to bed without storytime as a punishment.It's the end of the day, and I finally get to exhale, fold the laundry and do the dishes, and maybe get some work done so I'm not scrambling come Monday. About 30 minutes into it, my boy shuffles out of his bed and out of his room."Daddy? Can I hang out with you for a little bit?"There was something just right about the moment. Like the theater of the parent-child relationship was done, this whole dance that we had done the whole day was complete. The show was over, and the costumes were put away. He sat there next to me in the den while I worked on a powerpoint. It's quiet, except for my keyboard and mouse-clicks. After a few minutes, I ask if he wants a snack. He does. He calmly munches on some pretzels. He watches me do the dishes. He makes sure all the toys he wants to play with tomorrow morning are in place.Then he sent himself back to bed. via /r/Parenting http://bit.ly/2ZzRPOa