Friday Fieldwork: Make the List Together
Lead with Connection (Heart → Trust)
Our Costco trip didn’t start in the store.
It started at the kitchen table.
We made a list.
Each kid picked a meal.
Everyone had a say.
It took longer.
There were debates about breakfast.
Requests for chocolate covered pretzels as a side dish.
And Drew? Drew found a stray jar of play-do and was creating a masterpiece.
But they were all in.
And I realized — this wasn’t about groceries.
This was about belonging.
Letting them help wasn’t just a strategy.
It was a signal: You matter here.
Your ideas count. Your presence counts. You count.
By the time we hit aisle 7, it wasn’t “Dad’s trip” anymore.
It was ours.
Because when they feel connected to the process, they invest in the outcome.
Even when it’s loud. Even when it’s wild.
Even when we come home with pickles and 7 pounds of spaghetti.
Shared planning builds lasting trust.
Try This During:
Meal planning
Making weekend plans
Any task you usually do alone
Examples:
Let them plan one night’s dinner
Let them write a list of things to do on the weekend
Affirm their ideas, even if you edit them later
Why it matters:
Inclusion builds connection.
Connection builds trust.
And trust is what keeps them coming back to the table — long after the grocery list is gone.
Fieldwork Prompt:
Invite your kid into the planning this weekend.
Make it clear: “I want your input.”
Then notice what it changes — in them, and in you.
