Put it away

From my journal
January 1, 2000 Saturday
I decided that I had better get Christmas put away today, or I will have to do it next week when I won’t have time! I asked The Teenager to go down to his bedroom and get the Christmas stuff and bring it to me. But he was just devastated. He was crying and saying that he didn’t want to put Christmas away. I talked to him and explained how if we left it up all year it wouldn’t be special and we will get it out again next year. He just was in tears. I told him to go and get his stuff.
After a few minutes, he hadn’t come up. I went downstairs all ready to get mad at him and there he was coming out of his room with two of his toys in his hands and great big tears running down his face. He thought that he had to put away all his Christmas toys! I felt so bad! I told him that we were just putting away the decorations, and he could keep the toys and you could see the relief wash over his face!
Lesson learned: be more specific when telling your children what to do!