Say NO To The Rules

Say NO To The Rules!
 

I don' remember that much about being a kid.  I have the memory of a 97 year old woman. I had your average childhood but I just don't really remember specifics.  I don't remember opening Christmas presents or having birthday parties.  I have photographic evidence of those events so I'm fairly certain that they happened.  I don't remember having rules.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I didn't though.  I was a good kid, basically an angel sent from Heaven to grace the Earth with my presence and  bring joy to the hearts of all that were blessed with opportunity to meet me.  My kids didn't take after me.  They are completely like their father.  They can be hard headed, loud and they have the biggest tempers you can imagine..nothing like their mother. They are little angels 6% of the time..and that's when they want something from me.   My children have rules! 

My kids have chores and rules and they even have to study on days that they don't have any homework.  I know, I am a horrible horrible evil mother.  Including the 15 minutes spent crawling across the living room floor because he has been infected with Ebola and is too ill to do his chores (yes, the 6 year old tried that..considering not letting him watch the news anymore) their chores take about 20 minutes. Studying is 30-45 minutes, less if they show me that they already know everything on their study guides.  I'm not strict, I think kids should have some responsibility but I think that they should also have time to just be kids.

We also have those rules I mentioned.  Things like don't beat your sister with your ninja sword, don't throw a bowling pin at your brother, don't dive from the back of the couch.  All of those things have happened.  But, we don't have all of those usual rules.  No jumping on the bed, no running in the house, no bouncing/throwing the ball in the house, no playing in the rain, no bouncing in the mud puddles.  Why don't we have those rules?  Well, that's simple.  What's it hurt? I don't see a 5 year old breaking a metal bed frame by bouncing on it a couple of times and to be perfectly honest since there is no rule against doing it, they really don't have any interest in doing it.  Little rebels.  Running in the house isn't going to kill anyone.  Yes, if they get too loud and wild I tell them to chill out but hide and go seek and chase are games that they play very often inside the house.  We have a basketball goal in the boy's room..that would just be cruel if we told him he couldn't bounce or throw a ball inside.  They know to avoid televisions and windows when throwing it.  To the people that have a rule against playing in the rain and mud puddles: Seriously, it's really fun!  Get out there, grab a hand full of mud and nail someone in the head.  Trust me, you will enjoy it!

As parents we make all of these rules without thinking about why we are making them.  Sometimes we make rules and when we think about it, there isn't really a reason at all.  Yes, they could fall off the bed and break their neck from jumping on it but the odds are higher that they will break their neck on the football field than the bed.  It's ok to let kids be kids.  Let them be carefree and break the rules. Let them get dirty.  They grow up way too fast.  Let them have fun while they can.  Say NO to the rules and bring on the fun!

What is your favorite rule to break?  I would love to hear you favorite story of being a rebel.