I was driving around with some friends and their kids a couple weeks ago, when the dad mentioned that he wanted to stop at a nearby outdoor equipment store.
There was a collective groan from the backseat, because the kids knew his browsing could quickly get out of hand and take up a large chunk of the day.
“Awww, no!” the older child whined.
But the younger sibling decided to put some firm limits in place.
“You can have five minutes there.”
Their dad laughed. “Oh, five minutes, that’s all I get, huh?”
There was silence for a moment before the tables were turned. A small but confident voice replied, “I can take it to three.”