when I’m on my own for a weekend with the kids, I clear the expectations deck. Back then, however, when Steve and I were both home, we set all kinds of wild expectations about getting stuff done. What we never did was reality-check our expectations or make them explicit. We just tended to blame each other for our disappointment when our expectations weren’t realized. Now, before weekends, vacations, or even busy school or workweeks, we talk about expectations. We specifically ask each other, “What do you want this weekend to look like?” I might say, “This is going to be a busy weekend. I’m
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