Forgot My Rules... Oops?

So there I was, after my divorce last year, deciding to take on the Daddy role with a new partner. It's been a really fun dynamic, she's always so eager to please and it’s given me some structure in an otherwise chaotic time of life. We have our little routines, like how we call each other by certain names... She’s “Princess” and I’m “Daddy”. It adds that extra layer to everything. Anyway, this past weekend was when it all went sideways. See, Daddy has a list of rules for Princess, you know the usual: cleaning up after herself, doing her chores, no sneaking snacks without permission... Nothing too strict really. Just enough structure to keep things in line. But here’s where I messed up... We were at this cozy little café downtown last Saturday and they had these incredible-looking chocolate croissants on display in the case. Princess was trying her best not to look, she knows how many rules there are about sweets. But it was really hard! And as much as we try to stick by those rules... well, I mean, who can resist a chocolate croissant? So, uh... I gave in. We got one and split it between us. It wasn’t like the rest of the day was ruined or anything, far from it actually, she was on cloud nine after that little treat! But then came Sunday morning when we were both feeling a bit guilty about breaking one of those rules. Princess looked up at me with this sad puppy-dog eyes and said “Daddy...” And I just knew. The way her voice trailed off like that meant trouble. “Did you tell Mommy?” It was all in my head, but it still felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders... “No sweetie,” she whispered back, looking down at the floor and twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “But... I couldn’t help it. That croissant just looked so yummy! And it made me think about all those other little things too, like maybe there’s room to be more flexible with rules? You know how kids are always asking if they can break the rule for one day?” I guess that got me thinking... Is that really such a bad idea? Maybe some flexibility could actually make our dynamic even stronger. Still, it doesn’t mean I’m okay breaking those rules willy-nilly. This one was about a little treat and feeling happy together... so maybe we can find a way to still be strict, but also enjoy life too. So yeah, guilty as charged for the croissant rule break. But you know what? It might have just opened up an important conversation between us. And that’s pretty cool if you think about it... ...