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Hey Dad,

Greetings from Canadensis, PA. I'm speaking at our second family camp in two weeks. Right now, the kids are off corn shucking and freezing on a 200-foot water slide. I'm doing sleeping child patrol and enjoying some excellent wi-fi here at Spruce Lake Retreat Center.

Tomorrow we pack up and head home. For those who've been following, I finally got my RV toilet fixed, and it is leak free. Hot pups!

That's the good news. Now for the bad news … our kids are on to us. That's right, I think they have broken the dad-code (not to be confused with the DaVinci Code).

I was clued into just how bad this is yesterday while I was sitting at the pool-side luau in 60 degree weather when a young girl still in her street clothes asked her father, "Dad, can I change into my swimming suit?"

The dad, in proper dad-form, answered, "I don't think so sweetie, it's pretty cold and I don't want you getting sick."

The girl smiled, turned to walk away, and in the sweetest voice, without a hint of disrespect said, "Oh, you always say that."

Now I don't know if she was talking to her father specifically, was making a broad statement directed to father's across the globe, or was talking to me in particular, because the truth is most of us dads "always say" those kind of things.

It's just part of the dad-code. Instead of saying what we really mean, which is, "No, you can't get in the water because that will mean I'll have to get off my duff and help you in some way and it's just easier to sit here on my duff than to let you have fun," we say, "I don't think so … it's pretty cold, and I don't want you getting sick."

Up until now I didn't know any children knew the truth … but after yesterday, I think the code may have been cracked.

That means they know other things too like: "Not now," means NEVER. "Maybe later," means NEVER. In fact, most every answer we dads give means … NEVER. It used to be our little secret, but not anymore; they're on to us.

But here's the deal, instead of re-coding the code, maybe we should do away with the code. Instead of making up excuses of why they shouldn't, maybe we should start saying, "That's a great idea."

So from one code-talker to another, today and for the rest of the weekend, say, "Yes."

You 'da dad,

© 2009 Todd Wilson. Used by permission

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