Care and Feeding

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Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here .

Dear Care and Feeding,

My husband, “Matt,” has a really frustrating habit of walking in on a task I have 90 percent completed by myself, and then critiquing/micromanaging the last 10 percent.

For example: this morning I spent 20 minutes delicately navigating a school picture outfit for our 4-year-old son, “Charles,” taking into account what was clean, what fit, what was weather appropriate, and the color palette requested by the school. When Charles was finally dressed, Matt walked in and asked, “Is he going to be able to climb the playground equipment in those pants?” Charles immediately opened negotiations again. (And, no. They were not ideal playground pants.…