“Are we there yet?” is the question being asked all over town these days and it isn’t the pea voice of whining and bored kids. It’s moms across the country who want to know when the heck are we going to get to the first day of school. With the summer lingering on hot and slower each day and good summer camp programs drying up, most moms I know are simply running out of options to maintain order and dignity in their lives, let alone their homes.
I recently visited a friend’s house who invited my son over to hang and dropped my jaw as the first thing I witnessed were her “House Rules.” I read them once, and then twice. You mean another mom is feed up with slouching at the dinner table, cries of boredom, and by the love of God, leaving the patio door open!
So many of words on the list were verbatim what I’ve been preaching, okay, sometimes yelling to my kids all summer.
We all enjoy the summer and our children. It’s only that taking shelter from the heat towards the end of summer with the start of school in very near sight gives way to Shining like behavior from adults and kids alike. Thus, a few House Rules to keep us all in line.
I share these with you not only because they are what we wish for in our homes universally, but, also because they are so darn amusing to read out loud. Here they are in her own script. I have typed them below in case they are hard to read:
Have a great school year!
House Rules:
1. No intentional vexing
2. No screaming or Emotional bullying
3. Those who clean up after themselves will be praised and glorified
4. Ask before you open the refrigerator/freezer
5. At table: sit up; eat with fork; use your plate; close your mouth while eating; knees down; sit until done
6. Make your bed
7. Flush the toilet after No.2
8. Dirty clothes in hamper
9. Do not say, “I’m bored” or “no fair”
10. Close the outside doors behind you
11. No Badgering
12. “Hello” “Goodbye” “Please” “Thank you”
Good rules, but they only address part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, we spent a lot of time outdoors whether it was hot or not. Nobody died. Nobody got heatstroke. We drank plenty of fluids, we ate well, we played outside. It was just life. I think our Culture of Fear, driven by lawsuits and government watchdogs (nevermind neighbors who "know better than you") is slowly turning us into total weenies, afraid of our own shadow, especially if it's on concrete in 100F heat.
I played in the desert when it was over 110F farther west. I played when it was 95F and 95% humidity back east. We rode bikes, played all sorts of games, went to the park, went swimming, etc. We were healthy. We survived. No excess doctor or hospital visits, nobody got locked up or sued.
If people are getting cabin fever, then they need to get out of the cabin more. OK, so it's hot. Even 50 years ago, a lot of people didn't have A/C, and the population was growing like gangbusters. (Go visit Acuña, MX just across the border.)
Don't give in to ethe Culture of Fear, or the Couch Potato Farmers, or the Whiny Monster or whomever. You and your kids will be healthier... and saner.