Rules

I interrupt this photo dump to bring to the light the Wisdom of Matthew.

Sounds like a book in the Bible. 

It's not. Don't go looking. You won't find it.

Our family has a unique blend of personalities. Ten people living under one roof, homeschooling, lends itself to a fair share of problems. There are the regular bickering padawans. The usual suspects of broken electronics. The eaters of game board pieces and puzzles. The "I would share with you but the wind is blowing toward the east today" toddlers. 

For about 8 years, Matt has been consistently repeating a few phrases. After a year or so, I started writing them down. I was surprised at how the children latched onto his  endless nagging  gentle reminders to be kind. They started numbering Matt's wisdom and applying it to one another in situations that benefited them.

I realized at this point that my children's intelligence and manipulation had come to rival my own. Their behavior was not unlike mine when I have wondered if OTHER PEOPLE have read such and such part of the Bible...because they obviously  missed this part about kindness/compassion/mercy/etc.

Insert eye-roll here.

Soooooo, this is where it became paramount for US to remind OURSELVES that the rules apply to everyone. 

No exceptions.

Even Mom and Dad.

A few months ago, when things started getting really out of hand, I lost my head.

 I had had ENOUGH!

MOM WAS DECLARING A STATE OF RESET!

THIS COULD NOT CONTINUE! 

HAVE WE ALL FORGOTTEN THE RULES?!?!

DO I NEED TO WRITE THEM WITH A SHARPIE ON YOUR HEADS?!?!?

(not my finest moment)

But

But this loss of cool led to an idea that I have not regretted yet.

We would sit down as a family and write Matt's rules out. Each child took a rule or two and drew a picture of what it meant to help the younger babes relate. 

I thought my idea was brilliant. 

Then I saw the pictures.

This is what my children visualize in their beautiful and growing brains when they hear a rule shouted at them from another family member.