Only One Child Was Harmed in the Making of this Column

So PJM’s managing editor Aaron Hanscom, who clearly has some kind of mental health or substance abuse problem, asked me to write a regular column — on parenting.

A parenting column.

Me.

So naturally there’s bloodshed involved and perhaps some drinking subtly implied as I walk you through the Four Stages of Play, which any parent of boys will recognize immediately:

• Every idea becomes a game

• Every game becomes a contest

• Every contest becomes a bloodsport

• Every bloodsport ends in bloodshed

Read the whole thing.