The family went to the park, my partner, our daughter Simone and me. We got out of the car and took out all the things we wanted to enjoy what was going on there.
I noticed that Simone had left her shoes in the car and I asked her to bring them with her. She was about 5 years old at the time.
She said no.
I got down and said “Your feet will hurt when you walk on the prickles in the grass.”
She still refused.
As we were walking across the grass Simone started crying. She said “Daddy can you carry me on your shoulders”
I kneeled down and said “No Simone. You chose to leave your shoes in the car. Just take long slow steps and it won’t hurt so much.”
Her mum said “Peter, just carry her on your shoulders.”
I said “No.”
Some years later Simone was annoyed by some of her friends who were not being very responsible. She said to me “Thank you Dad for teaching me about responsibility all those years ago in the park.”