Today's Headlines

Remember learning in Sunday school about God giving Moses the 10 Commandments? God didn't just tell Moses the Commandments . . . He wrote them down. They were written down so that the people could always refer back to them, should they ever question.

Maybe this is why I have been floundering recently in my discipline with my little flock. I don't have any rules written down. I know a bunch of Bible verses, and I have my favorite one that I like to pull out of my Holy Magic Mom Box: Children, obey your parents in the Lord so that it may go well with you (Deuteronomy 12:28).

But the other day, I was slightly taken off guard. Mr. Smackdown had been attempting to help me. He asked if he could screw on Mr. Smiley's sippy cup.

I said no.

He said, "Why? Is it wrong?"

Well . . . I don't know why, Mr. Smackdown. I just told you not to.

It wasn't wrong. In fact, it would have been helpful to have him finish the task I had begun. And he would have done a good job. There is definitely a difference between right and wrong and ANNOYING and wrong. But in this case, I was suffering from a little thing called CONTROL. But that is a whole different issue.

Rules.

If God wrote His rules on stone, then why wouldn't I have a set of general rules written out on a piece of paper in my own home? It seems pretty simple.

• Written rules lessen confusion. It was for this reason, I had rules in my kindergarten classroom.
• Written rules will keep the Hottie Hubby and I on the same page--a unified front.
• Written rules will help me to not be fickle and/or treat my children differently depending on my hormonal level at that particular moment.
• Written rules will help me to be consistent.