Rules Even Grandparents Can Understand #AfterMyCoffee

Making and enforcing rules that the little'ns understand can be difficult, but sometimes there is more to consider. We had Grandpa for 15 years... We had to establish rules that he understood. Since he had been a preacher, he understood Jesus's TWO commandments.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

Love God & Love your neighbor as yourself. Everything had to fit into those two categories. I think in the long run, it actually made things much easier. You can't leave things laying around because you aren't being loving to the person who has to clean up after you... etc. Someone gave us a plaque for our wedding shower with this on it:

If you get it out, put it up. 
If you sleep on it, make it up. 
If you wear it, hang it up. 
If you drop it, pick it up. 
If you dirty it, wash it. 
If you open it, close it. 
If you turn it on, turn it off. 
If it rings, answer it. 
If it howls, feed it. 
If it cries, love it. 

All of these things can fit in the two commandments if you think about it. Children need consistency and routine they can count on. Uncertainty causes insecurity and insecurity causes misbehavior in an attempt to control their environment. Consequences can be simple but must be quick and concise as well. Children will always test boundaries, if they consistently have the same consequences, they will learn self-control and self-discipline. The older they get, the more they will understand simple reasoning and logic about why certain behaviors are acceptable and others are not. They will also, with some coaching, learn to think of others before themselves.

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