In the classic song New York Minute, Don Henley sang, “In a New York Minute, everything can change”. As a stay-at-home dad, I’d like to add a new chorus to the song, “In a stay-at-home second, chaos will reign.” Here’s what I mean.

Today was the perfect day. The kids didn’t fight, no tears fell, and no injuries happened, perfectly uneventful. I like to call this a unicorn day, because these perfect days are extremely rare, almost mythical. When my wife called as she was leaving work, I told her how great everything went. My superstitious side told me not to jinx myself, I should knock on wood. No need, the day was almost over, what could go wrong. Famous last words.

As I started dinner, my two oldest kids were still getting along with each other. Perfect!. My one-year-old daughter was playing happily with her baby doll. Also perfect!

I turned my back and walked toward the oven while my toddler made her way into the kitchen. She quickly climbed onto the kitchen chair, stood facing the back of the chair and yelled “Dadda”, then… Boom! Unicorn day over.

“Oh no!” I screamed as the back of the chair and my daughter’s face smashed onto the tile kitchen floor. I picked her up quickly. There was blood on the tile. Her lip was bleeding profusely on the inside and outside. Her shirt was covered in blood. She was sobbing.

“What happened?” asked my eight-year-old son in a panic.

I quickly sat her on my lap and answered. “Grab me a towel.”

“How bad is she hurt?” my five-year-old daughter screamed.

“Not sure,” I replied as I tried to stop the bleeding.

My son began running around hysterical as I yelled for my Amazon Echo to call my wife. It was too loud in the house, so it didn’t work.

“Someone grab my phone and call your Mom.”

My son dialed my wife’s number and handed me the phone. She didn’t answer. Time to call Children’s Hospital. The receptionist told me I need to call my pediatrician first. After hours, had to leave a message. Time to wing it!

“Guys, we’re going to the hospital,” I told my son and daughter. “Put your shoes on, we need to leave now.”

“Where’s Mom?” cried my daughter as the kids ran around looking for their shoes.

“Not sure, let’s go.”

As we were heading out the door, my wife pulled in the driveway. I told her what happened and handed her our daughter to take to Children’s Hospital. Off she drove. An hour later, we found out no stitches needed. What a relief.

My unicorn day fell apart way to fast. Not even knocking on wood could have saved this day when in a stay-at-home second, chaos did reign.