My Cousin Took Over Babysitting Duties From Me for One Afternoon. Her Stupid Mistake Led to a Devastating Tragedy.

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. I am utterly heartsick over Campbell’s accident and would give anything to take back what happened to her; Rayne is devastated by the entire situation and says she will never forgive herself. I don’t know what to do here or if there is anything that can be done to make things right between Rayne and my uncle and aunt. I’ve tried giving her smaller second portions, but she won’t touch it unless it’s “a lot.” She’s wasting food, water, and my time and effort. I don’t know what phrases you’re using, but you might have better luck with, “We listen to our tummies before we ask for more food” and “Save some water for the fishies” than, “This is too much pasta” or “Don’t waste water!” The former phrases are much more tangible and give your daughter the “why” behind what you’re asking her to do, which can help the actions make more sense to her.