As a toddler, my son once methodically showed me a series of random objects (truck, ball, teddy, clay). Each time I told him I was too busy. Then he tried a book. I just HAD to drop what I was doing and read to him.

I still read to my 11yo girl. We’re on the fourth Oz book now.

Here’s an amusing riff on a popular Seuss book.

But didn’t you feel responsible when you found out what happened that day?
As if I could have predicted that a giant talking cat would pop by and destroy my house! Listen, it must say something about my parenting style that the mere sight of my feet would get everyone scrambling around, shaking with fear.

Still, you left your kids alone all day in your unlocked house, and they didn’t seem to have much awareness of “stranger danger.”

O.K., a), that cat was benign compared to my in-laws, who were always arriving unannounced. And b), we did have a baby sitter.

You mean the fish?

It was the ’50s. You’ve never heard of the “Aquatic Mom” parenting method? —NYTimes.com.