Muse Family House Rules – Revisited

After posting my no whining list the other day, a friend reminded me of my original “house rules” created over year ago when I was religiously watching Jo Frost (aka. Supernanny) to find new ways to make my kids behave. I immediately became a fan of her lists and schedules to keep everyone on track, despite the fact we still get derailed pretty frequently. And it looks like I only posted these rules on Facebook (and the refrigerator), so I thought I would recycle them for the blog. Surprisingly, 16 months later, they still make sense and I can only think of one new rule to add (thanks to Star Wars and BW3s) - no guns or NRA memberships, please!

1. No hitting or pushing.
2. No drawing on anything but paper, driveways, a whiteboard or a chalkboard.
3. No biting or pinching.
4. No throwing food or making a baby mess.
5. No whining or screaming.
6. Don’t say the word “stupid.”
7. Always share.
8. Always say please and thank you.
9. Always listen to mommy or daddy (or any other adult/care giver).
10. No going outside without mommy or daddy.
11. No donuts at nighttime.
12. No playing on the steps.
13. No playing in the street.
14. No playing in the woods or by the creek (except when crossing the Festa / Infantino bridge with an adult).
15. No standing or jumping on beds or furniture.
16. No playing with electrical cords or light sockets.
17. No playing with matches or candles.
18. No talking to mommy while she is on a work call.
19. Do not get out of bed after bedtime (except to go potty).
20. No slamming doors or toys (or making extremely loud noises in general).
21. Always sit at the table for dinner.
22. No spitting.
23. No teasing younger siblings or kids.
24. Don’t say “I hate you” or “I don’t like you.”
25. No playing in the office – do not touch the computer, phone, printer, fax machine, etc.
26. Do not play with the TV power button.
27. Always wear a seat belt.
28. Never open a car door while the car is in motion.
29. Always tell the truth.
30. Always recycle.
31. No playing with iPods, cameras or cell phones (except when given to you by mommy or daddy).
32. No playing with stamps – they are not stickers!
33. McDonalds and chocolate milk are special treats.
34. Always clean the toy room before bedtime.
35. No using curse words.
36. No telling anyone they have a big butt.
37. Always eat apple sauce with a spoon.
38. Always wash your hands before dinner and after using the bathroom.
39. Don’t throw clothes out of the laundry basket once clean and folded.
40. Bubbles baths are only on weekends.