After being away for a week, I came home to a shocking sight — my kids were sleeping on the cold floor in the hallway. My heart raced as I looked for answers. I couldn’t find my husband, and I heard strange noises coming from the kids’ room. What I found next made me absolutely furious — I was ready for a big argument!

I had been gone on a business trip for a week, and I couldn’t wait to be back home. My boys, Tommy and Alex, were probably super excited for me to return.

After a week away, I was excited to get home. My boys, Tommy (6) and Alex (8), must have felt like it had been forever. And my husband, Mark? I bet he was ready to pass the parenting duties back to me. He’s a great dad but usually more of the “fun parent” than the responsible one.

When I pulled into the driveway at midnight, the house was dark and quiet, just like it should be at that hour. I grabbed my suitcase and quietly opened the front door, ready to collapse into bed.

But as I stepped inside, something felt wrong.

My foot hit something soft, and I froze. Heart racing, I turned on the light and nearly screamed. Tommy and Alex were sleeping on the hallway floor, tangled in blankets, with dirt on their faces and messy hair.

“What happened?” I whispered. Had there been a fire? Why weren’t they in their beds? I tiptoed past them, heading for the living room, which looked like a disaster zone—pizza boxes, soda cans, and melted ice cream everywhere. But no sign of Mark.

I rushed to our bedroom, but it was empty too. The bed was untouched, like no one had slept there. My heart was pounding as I heard faint noises coming from the boys’ room.

Slowly, I opened the door.

There was Mark, headphones on, playing video games. The kids’ room was transformed into a gamer’s paradise—huge TV, LED lights, and even a mini-fridge. He didn’t even notice me standing there, fuming.

I marched over and pulled off his headphones. “Mark! What is going on here?”

He blinked up at me, surprised. “Oh, hey babe. You’re back early.”

“Early? It’s midnight! Why are our kids sleeping in the hallway?”

He shrugged, trying to go back to his game. “They thought it was fun, like a little adventure.”

I yanked the controller away. “An adventure? They’re not camping, Mark! They’re sleeping on the dirty floor!”

He rolled his eyes. “Relax, Sarah. Everything’s fine. I fed them and everything.”

“You mean the junk food in the living room? And what about baths? Their actual beds?”

Mark shrugged. “They’re fine, just lighten up.”

That’s when I lost it.

“Lighten up? Our kids are sleeping on the floor while you play games in their room! This is ridiculous!”

Mark looked annoyed. “I just needed some me-time. What’s so bad about that?”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Fine, we’ll deal with this in the morning. Right now, put the boys back in their beds.”

Grumbling, he picked up Tommy while I carried Alex to bed. I couldn’t help but notice how alike they looked—my two boys, one just a little older and bigger than the other.

The next morning, I put my plan into action.

While Mark was in the shower, I unplugged all his gaming gear and created a big, colorful chore chart. When he came downstairs, I greeted him with a smile and a Mickey Mouse-shaped pancake on a plastic plate.

“What’s this?” he asked, confused.

“Breakfast! And look at this chore chart I made for you!” I said sweetly.

Mark’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope! You can earn stars for doing chores. And we have a new rule: No screens after 9 p.m.”

“This is ridiculous, I’m an adult!” he snapped.

“Really? Because grown men don’t make their kids sleep on the floor for video games.”

He looked embarrassed. “Okay, I’m sorry. I get it.”

I gave him a smile. “Good. Now go help with the dishes. If you do a good job, we can have ice cream later.”

As Mark went to help, I couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Lesson learned—at least for now. If not, I still had that timeout corner ready!
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