Rule #542 of Mothering

A child's interest in his toys in inversely proportional to a mother's desire to do something she wants.

Example: If a mother wants to read a book, talk on the phone, or say, finish a blog post, the child's interest in his previously exciting toy stops. This rule works in reverse, too.

The opposite of this rule may or may not be true. Often children will play happily, as long as a mother does nothing of interest to her.