Rules are not allowed

A follow-up to my language post...

My kids aren't "allowed" to do anything. Or rather, they're allowed to do anything. Or rather, they're not prohibited from doing anything.

We don't have rules in our house. Okay, maybe we have a few, and they apply to all who enter here:

• No smoking in the house
• Use a coaster
• Don't burn Lego men under the eaves

I think that's about it. Except maybe "Don't threaten Ronnie's supremacy." Yeah, that's a good one.

Over the years, we have had a lot of conversations about what constitutes polite, sensible, and/or legal behavior. If one of the girls is in danger of violating social mores or another person's peace or comfort, I might offer a warning (not a threat or a "don't", but a piece of information, such as "some people are really grossed out by chewing with your mouth open") or a request ("please watch your language in front of GG"). If one of them looks like she's about to walk off a figurative or literal cliff, I might say, "Look out!" And if one of them commits or contemplates committing an act that isn't legal, I might ask, "What, are you stupid?" (Okay, not really. Okay, maybe really.) But the decisions are theirs to make.

The point is, the behavior you see from my kids, good and bad, is their own. I might occasionally feel gratified by same, and I might very occasionally feel embarrassed by same, but it isn't my behavior, and I don't take credit for it when it's good. That's all theirs.

But I'll happily bear the blame for the bad if it makes you feel better about my girls. :-)