About a week ago, my father-in-law taught my husband an unforgettable lesson on responsibility.
John and I were excited for a trip to his parents’ house with our two-year-old, Ethan. “Claire, I can’t wait to finally relax,” John said, eager for a break. Little did I know, his idea of a break meant ditching responsibility.

At the airport, as I struggled with Ethan and our luggage, John mysteriously disappeared. When I found him, he casually revealed, “I needed to grab a pair of headphones.” But only for himself. Once on the plane, I discovered why—he had upgraded to business class, leaving me to handle Ethan alone in economy. “I need some peace and quiet,” he justified.

At his parents’ house, his father, Jacob, took note. The next evening, he told John, “You’ll stay behind to prepare for guests while we go out.” The following morning, he handed John a list of chores: cleaning the garage, fixing the fence, mowing the lawn. “You will spend the rest of the week making up for what you did to Claire and Ethan,” Jacob declared.

By the end of the trip, John was exhausted and remorseful. But Jacob had one final lesson—John’s business class return ticket had been switched with mine. “You can manage on your own this time, John.”