The new rules

With both kids testing us daily and constantly challenging, we felt that an old-school, new-agey family meeting was in order. Both kids are very well-behaved at school, where the kids create and adhere to their own rules. So Saturday morning we sat down to create our family rules, to be posted on the fridge with their corresponding consequences, also agreed upon by the family. As we began, Shawn Joaquin was quick to fire off the first few:

• No fibbing
• No pushing or hitting
• No laughing when you're in trouble
• Listen when you're spoken to
• Be kind to your family

Madelena, eager to get in on the list, began her contributions, equally rapid-fire:

• No smoking
• No drinking wine
• No taking off your shirt in the movie theater
• No throwing people off the balcony

We were able to quickly come up with corresponding consequences for Shawn Joaquin's list - time outs in a new spot, with minutes corresponding to one's age - but Madelena's was more difficult. At least until I get my hands on the California penal code.