I was cleaning out a file drawer and found something I had forgotten I had. Danny wrote it and I remember it was useful but thought it had just gotten thrown away. We had three preschoolers then. Sam would've been about 5 and Jonathan about 3 and Benjamin was 1 or 2. Ginny wasn't here yet.

Since my children were preschoolers they were passionately and adventurously into everything. Danny and I were pretty busy just preventing them from harming themselves and destroying anything they could find to study and then take apart. Danny decided to make some rules because many times he would have to tell them the same thing again and again. So he wrote them out in simple preschool language and we put them in their room above the light switch. Here's the list:

1. If Mommy or Daddy tell you to do it, do it! Immediately!!
2. If Mommy or Daddy tell you NOT to do it, then, don't do it!
If you're already doing it, stop it! Immediately!!
3. When a grown up speaks to you, pay attention, be polite and be respectful.
4. If it's not yours, don't mess with it!
5. When you're through with it, put it back!
6. If you make a mess, clean it up!
7. Don't mess with things you don't know anything about!
8. Don't eat stuff you pick up off the floor.
9. Your words can hurt someone more than your fists.
10. You must live with the consequences of your decisions!
11. Always ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"
12. And above all remember that Jesus loves you, and is with you all the time!

We are still teaching them most of these things. Now Danny has made a chore list that changes each week. So rule #1 has progressed with their ages. Danny has shortened #3 to Don't interrupt grown ups when their talking. They've mostly learned this rule. We're still working on rule #5 and #6. They use the 3 second rule when food falls on the floor. Danny used the word stuff in this rule because back then they might have eaten anything off the floor! The entire family is still learning the rule about what you say. Danny now says #10 differently. He says,"There are consequences to your actions." And I read to our children about Jesus in the Gospels at night before bedtime to help them to learn what Jesus would want them to do.

Our children are still growing so working on these rules is a constant. But I see from time to time how they have embraced godly morals within their own heart. Last night Jonathan was with me when I bought groceries. We saw an older lady riding a handicapped cart. She had a tube in her nose to help her breathe. She had two young children with her, a boy about 6 and a girl about 10. The boy asked his grandma if he could have some ice cream when she said no he said something rude back to her like you're stupid and dumb. Then she told him to stop and he ran ahead with the girl. Jonathan couldn't believe he said that to his grandma. It made Jonathan mad and he thought it was disrespectful. Jonathan said he couldn't imagine saying that to his grandma.