“Play with the dog” … But we don’t even have a dog!

Kids and Their Unexpected Requests

Having kids means encountering all sorts of unexpected requests. Sometimes, they make perfect sense. Other times, they leave you wondering, “Wait… what?”

Recently, my son Gene came to me with a request that had me scratching my head. Using his visual schedule (Covalitte), he eagerly brought me a picture card and made a very clear request.

📅 “Play with the Dog” on His Three-Week Schedule?

Gene happily picked up a picture card and pointed at his three-week schedule.

“Put this in!” he insisted.

I looked at the card. It was “Play with the Dog.”

The only problem? We don’t have a dog! 🐶😅

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. In theory, I should have negotiated with him and explained the situation right away. That would have been the ideal parenting move. But if you’ve ever tried negotiating with a determined child (especially one like Gene), you know—it’s not that simple.

A single misstep in the conversation, and suddenly, our peaceful moment could spiral into chaos. It’s like setting off a sibling rivalry… except it’s just the two of us.

So, in a moment of surrender to short-term peace, I placed the “Play with the Dog” card two weeks ahead on the schedule. Problem solved? Well, not really.

🐾 What Should Replace It?

Of course, in two weeks, I’d have to deal with the real problem:

“Where’s the dog?”

And this time, delaying the answer wouldn’t be an option. I needed to come up with an alternative plan before that day arrived. Here were my options:

✅ Play with a stuffed dog (But let’s be real—Gene would see right through that and probably be offended. 😂)

✅ Go to the park and see other people’s dogs (Risk level: HIGH. Once Gene sees a dog, getting him to leave peacefully is a whole other challenge.)

✅ Visit a local farm and see cows instead (Not quite a dog, but… maybe close enough?)

Helping kids take ownership of their schedules is an amazing thing. It builds independence and helps them understand time and planning. But it also comes with unexpected surprises like this one—where their reality and ours don’t quite align.

What Would You Do?

So, here’s my dilemma. How do I swap out “Play with the Dog” for something just as exciting?

If you were in my shoes, what would you do? Drop your ideas—I’d love to hear them! 🐶✨