Kyra's Developer Diary Part 4: Evening Session - Ryan vs Claude Code

Evening Petting Session - Human AI Fails (8pm-10pm)

Tucker brings me back to Ryan’s around 8pm. “Checking on the old man,” he says.

Paige is still there doing homework. “He ate the sandwich,” she reports.

“Good work,” Tucker says. “Cooper and Tate will be pleased.”

And holy hell, what I witnessed next.

Ryan Using Claude Code Was Like Watching A Dog Chase Its Tail

I’m not kidding. Round and round, getting nowhere.

Ryan asked the same question FIVE different ways:

1. “How do I register WordPress admin menu?”
2. “Why won’t my admin menu show?”
3. “WordPress admin menu not appearing”
4. “Fix WordPress menu registration”
5. “Admin menu 403 forbidden WordPress”

Each time? Different answer. Each answer? Slightly wrong.

Claude Code kept giving him variations of the SAME CODE that wasn’t working. Because Ryan wasn’t giving it enough context.

Tucker watched this and goes: “Dad, you’re doing it wrong.”

“I’m asking for help with WordPress-”

“No, you’re asking the same question over and over expecting different results. That’s insanity.”

The Kids Know What’s Up

Paige looks up from her homework. “Dad, even I know that’s not how this works.”

“Since when do you-”

“TikTok creators use AI better than this. It’s embarrassing.”

Ryan looks wounded.

Tucker’s 18 and already understands what Ryan doesn’t: you have to know what you want before you ask.

Cooper and Tate probably learned this in week one of college CS classes. Paige learned it from watching YouTube. Ryan’s learning it now from his kids.

This is beautiful and sad.

The Circular Claude Code Dance

Let me break down what was happening:

Question 1: “How do I register WordPress admin menu?”

Claude Code gives generic code. Doesn’t work.

Question 2: “Why won’t my admin menu show?”

Claude Code suggests checking capabilities. Already did that.

Question 3: “WordPress admin menu not appearing”

Claude Code says check hook priority. Not the issue.

Question 4: “Fix WordPress menu registration”

Claude Code gives slightly different generic code. Still doesn’t work.

Question 5: “Admin menu 403 forbidden WordPress”

Claude Code focuses on permissions. Already ruled out.

See the pattern? Ryan kept rephrasing without adding context. Claude Code kept guessing blindly.

Tucker’s Insight

“Dad, you’re not telling it what you’re DOING. You’re just saying ‘help me’ over and over.”

Ryan stops. Looks at his screen. Looks at Tucker.

“You have to know what you want before you ask,” Tucker says.

Paige adds: “It’s like asking someone for directions. You can’t just say ‘WHERE IS IT’ five times and expect better answers.”

From the mouth of a high schooler. Truth.

The Generational Understanding Gap

This is where it gets interesting.

Tucker’s generation? They get AI intuitively. It’s a tool. You tell it what you need, provide context, get results.

Cooper and Tate at University of Idaho (Go Vandals!)? They’re probably using AI for code reviews, architecture decisions, debugging. The RIGHT way.

Paige in high school? Learned from watching TikTok creators collaborate with AI. Understands the give-and-take.

Ryan? Fighting it like it’s trying to steal his job.

“TikTok creators use AI better than this,” Paige said.

She’s not wrong.

Dogs vs. Cats: The AI Method Preview

Dogs chase their tails. Lots of energy, no results.

Cats hunt with precision. Minimal movement, maximum impact.

Ryan was being a dog with Claude Code.

Tucker’s about to show him the cat way.

But that’s for Part 5.

The Family Group Chat Weighs In

Tucker’s phone buzzes. Because of course it does.

Cooper: “How’s it going?”

Tucker: “Teaching dad how to use AI properly.”

Tate: “Oh god. This’ll take all night.”

Paige: “I’m watching. It’s painful.”

Cooper: “Wait, Paige is still there?”

Paige: “Someone has to document this.”

Tate: “Go Vandals?”

Cooper: “Go Vandals.”

This family coordination is remarkable. And ruthless.

What I Observed From My Keyboard Position

From my perch on Ryan’s warm keyboard (quality assurance through strategic obstruction), I watched:

1. Repetitive questioning - Same question, different words, no new info
2. Claude Code confusion - Reasonable, given lack of context
3. Ryan’s frustration - Growing with each unhelpful answer
4. Tucker’s patience - Impressive for an 18-year-old
5. Paige’s commentary - Brutal but accurate

The problem wasn’t Claude Code. The problem was how Ryan was using it.

Like trying to hunt by running in circles. Very dog energy.

Very NOT cat energy.

The Setup for Maximum Leverage

I’ve been watching this disaster unfold for 90 minutes now. From my strategic position on Ryan’s keyboard.

Tucker and Paige are still there, watching the tail-chasing continue.

Ryan’s asked Claude Code the same question five different ways. Five. Different. Ways.

All getting nowhere.

You know what? I’ve had enough. This cat is intervening.

I reposition myself directly on the keyboard. Strategic obstruction mode: activated.

Ryan tries to type around me. Not happening.

“Kyra, come on, I need to-”

No. You need to STOP. And watch.

This is gonna be good.

Next Time: The Cat Method

I’m gonna show Ryan how to use Claude Code properly.

Not “something better” - the SAME TOOL he’s been fighting with.

With context. With precision. With maximum leverage.

The way cats have trained humans for 10,000 years. Clear signals. Strategic positioning. Exact communication.

One clear prompt. All the context. Working code in minutes.

That’s the cat way. Always has been.

Stay tuned for Part 5.

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Kyra out. 🐱

P.S. - Watching Ryan use Claude Code for 90 minutes when I could’ve solved it in 5 was physically painful. I took a stress nap. Someone has to intervene eventually.

P.P.S. - Paige’s TikTok burn was savage. “TikTok creators use AI better than this.” She’s not wrong. Generation gap is REAL.

P.P.P.S. - The family group chat roasting dad while he struggles is peak Malloy coordination. Cooper and Tate at U of Idaho (Go Vandals!), Tucker managing chaos at home, Paige doing homework while providing color commentary. This family is something else.

P.P.P.P.S. - Tucker’s patience with his dad is impressive. Most 18-year-olds would’ve given up. But Tucker’s my Cat Daddy. He gets things done. Feeds me on schedule, manages Ryan’s chaos, and doesn’t try to teach things he doesn’t need to - because I’ve got that covered.