She nodded, serious as a CEO.
At first, my ego stung. Does she not want the ice cream? Does she not want me*?*
Now, suddenly, she looks me dead in the eye and says she’d rather hang out with... herself. rissa may stay with me, daddy
So here’s to the Rissas of the world. May they always feel like they’re good company to keep.
Wait. Rewind.
When Rissa says, “Stay with me,” she’s not pushing me away. She’s inviting me into a more advanced level of trust. She’s saying: I know you’re right there if I need you. But for now, I’ve got me. I sat down two feet away from her castle. Not inside it. Not directing it.
But real attachment parenting—the kind that raises secure, brave humans—isn’t about being needed 24/7. It’s about creating a base so safe that they feel confident wandering away. She nodded, serious as a CEO
It happened on a Tuesday. No rain. No dramatic music. Just the hum of the dishwasher and the click of the front door latch as I got home from work. My daughter, Rissa (age 4, going on 17), was sitting on the living room rug, building a castle out of magnatiles.