These are the rules

The boy likes rules - he doesn't always follow them, but he does like having them.Today on our drive home from church we noticed a jogger out on the road, and  he was very concerned. He piped up from the back seat "That man shouldn't be on the road, you're supposed to be on the sidewalk." We agreed, yes that was the safest place to be, and no we didn't know why the man was on the road, but that he would be safest on the sidewalk, and that's why we have that rule. Most of the time, once he understands why we have a rule, he's o.k. to follow it, when he remembers of course.

He also likes to invent rules to his make-believe games. So we'll be playing something with a nonsensical name, and then he has to tell us what the rules are. The other day we were playing 'bang the monkey in the bucket' and there were very specific rules as to what order we could do things in, how you played, and what was allowed during the game. Those rules changed as they went on though! It's moments like this that I'm afraid I'm raising a Calvin, and I'll find him playing Calvinball as he gets older

 Hubby and I get reminded of the rules if we break them "Mummy, we don't leave the tap on", "Daddy, we're not supposed to slam doors", "Mummy, we don't whine". They're all great rules for toddlers, but some days it's just easier for me to toss dirty clothes in the laundry rather than walk over and put it in nicely, but if I'm under the ever vigilant eye of the boy, I will get told that we don't throw our clothes. Some days I wish his memory wasn't as good so I could get away with stuff!

I asked him today what are some of the other rules and this is what we came up with: 

• Don't touch the TV
• Don't touch the iPad when Daddy's using it
• Don't go out the window
• Don't break the glass
• Don't go down the drain when you're having a bath
• Don't leave the shower running
• Don't go in Daddy's workshop without anyone in there

I'm not sure where the rules about the window, the glass, or the drain came from, but I guess it if prevents him from escaping from the house, breaking my windows, or getting a toe or a finger stuck in the drain, then they're not bad ones to remember.