Dan asks to dry the dishes,
at least six times a year,
and so his mother lets him,
despite apparent fear.
With care he stands there drying;
the dear boy will not stop,
and then it finally happens —
some dishes he will drop.
“I’m sorry,” he will stammer.
“How it happened, I can’t guess.
I want to help with dishes,
and not just cause you stress.”
His mom replies, “You play now.
You are too young to dry.
Don’t worry, Son, it’s all right now —
at least you want to try.”
And so the boy then plays outside,
upon the grass so green.
His little plan has worked for years,
for now he is thirteen.
The Lonely Meatball 
It worked longer for him than it did for me.
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Smart mother. 😊
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My dad told my mom, “If he keeps breaking dishes he’s gonna have to pay for them and maybe he’ll be more careful.” lolol.
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That really is funny!
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Familiar theme—I think our son used this strategy with a number of household chores. It was painful watching him try to iron a shirt!
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I know what you mean. Watching my son iron was also tension-inducing.
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Similar has worked well for over 40 years with shirt ironing…er, someone told me about someone I don’t know sorry I said anything bye
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Strange that popped into your mind so quickly. It’s almost like … I don’t know — forget it. I would never suspect you.
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Clever kid. And a lot smarter than I was when I was age. Nice poem!!!
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Thank you!😊
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