Delegation by Devlin

One summer evening, after cleaning up the dinner detritus and starting a load of laundry, the kids and I rode our bikes to the tennis courts. Daddy was playing a match and I thought it would be nice to cheer him on. However, the older kids had a different idea. They begged to be allowed to play at the nearby park. I agreed, on one proviso.

“Devlin, you are in charge of your sisters. You are to keep an eye on them. Mommy and Quinn will be at the tennis courts, and I’ll come get you after Daddy’s game,” I instructed.

Devlin nodded and his sisters agreed to be supervised by him.

(For those of you parents who are outraged that I left the kids alone, the park was less than 250 metres from the tennis courts, and within hearing/shouting distance.)

Quinn and I continued on to the tennis courts. Fifteen minutes later, while I was watching Quinn chase after a wayward tennis ball, I spied Devlin coming towards me on his bike.

“Devlin!?!? What are you doing here? Where are your sisters? You were supposed to be watching over Ceilidh and Aisling!”

Very nonchalantly, he replied “Don’t worry Mom. I left Ceilidh in charge of Aisling.”

That’s a sure sign of maturing, I guess. Learning the ability to delegate.