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June 18, 2026
My three-and-a-half-year-old grandson Riley was home sick today, so I agreed to watch him for a bit while my daughter ran to a doctor's appointment.
I set up at the kitchen counter with my laptop.
Riley was picking at a small dish of peanuts nearby when I heard the unmistakable sound of marble crashing against granite - he'd grabbed the pestle from the decorative mortar on the counter and was trying to smash one.
I shouted STOP THAT! louder than I meant to.
He slouched.
His eyes filled up.
I felt terrible.
I had to take a call so I asked Corinne to keep an eye on him for a bit.
About 45 minutes later, after I'd finished the call, Riley climbed into the chair next to me and said, "Pop-pops, you are my best friend."
I told him he was my best friend too.
That's when he did a dead-on impression of me yelling at him - and asked why I did that.
I wasn't ready for it.
I apologized and told him that sometimes grown-ups make mistakes, just like anyone else, and that I was sorry.
He seemed to accept that.
Then I told him how glad I was that he'd said something - that it's always important to share your feelings and try to work things out.
I didn't expect to have that conversation today.
Especially not with a three-and-a-half-year-old.
But I'm really glad I did.
