Rissa May Stay With Me, Daddy -

Wait. Rewind.

She squirmed down, patted my knee with the condescension only a preschooler can muster, and walked back to her castle. Without looking up, she said it:

But real attachment parenting—the kind that raises secure, brave humans—isn’t about being needed 24/7. It’s about creating a base so safe that they feel confident wandering away. rissa may stay with me, daddy

I heard: “Rissa may stay with me.”

There’s a phrase I never expected to lodge itself so firmly in my chest. Without looking up, she said it: But real

I scooped her up, spun her around, and asked the standard dad question: “Ready to go get ice cream, just you and me?”

At first, my ego stung. Does she not want the ice cream? Does she not want me*?* I scooped her up, spun her around, and

“Okay, Rissa,” I said. “Rissa may stay with Rissa. And Daddy will stay right here, reading his book. Let me know if the dragons need backup.”