Well with approximately six more weeks of school left for the 2005-2006 school year. We need to get our summer guidelines in place.

That means we need to review our summer safety rules and our house hold chore charts. We also need to re-establish our rules for curfew and boundaries to our children of various age ranges.
All of this should be clearly posted some where in your home.

Posting all the rules and guidelines will help save time and energy when there is a dispute. It will also allow you to ask your child if he or she has read the chart and if they understand it or have any questions about it.

This year I added one more rule to our family guidelines. DO NOT bother mom if the bedroom or bathroom door is closed. UNLESS there is blood flowing from an open wound or a police officer at my door. (Giggle)

If this tells you something, it should be that mom never seems to get fifteen seconds of free time without someone calling my name.

My reasoning for this new rule came from this weekend. I was sick and hugging the porcelain throne
when both of my daughters came banging on the bathroom door. Of course I could not answer them.
I was far to busy with puking my guts out.

When I could compose myself and ask what they needed I found out it was over what juice they were wanting to drink. Needless to say I wanted to tell them where they could put the fruit juice. But I was nice and told them drink the one that is already open before they open another bottle.

Considering that my daughters are 16 1/2 and 8. There was no clear reason for them to fight over what juice to drink.

So freshen up the house rules and get set for summer. I think it is almost upon us and the kids will be out of school very soon.

Which also means it is a good time to check out the library and get the kids on a good summer reading program. I know we have an appointment to do just that as a family on Saturdays.