Last night, I discovered a shocking fact: Ellie thinks we don't have any rules at home. This bit of information came to my attention when she was receiving a talking-to about some minor misbehavior. During the conversation, she revealed that she would never throw a teddy bear at someone at school because throwing things at school is against the rules. When I pointed out that we have rules at home as well, she seemed genuinely perplexed. We have rules?

That is when it dawned on me that perhaps we have not been specific enough when communicating our expectations at home. Maybe it isn't enough to tell her that I expect her to be courteous and respectful. I must make a RULE that she be courteous and respectful. Getting out of bed after lights out? Against the RULES.

The more I think about this, the more sense it makes. Ellie has always been a well-behaved child who respects authority and follows the rules. To her, a rule is something that must be adhered to at all times. But an expectation? Perhaps that concept is a bit too fuzzy, leaving too much room for interpretation. Besides language, the biggest difference I can see between my expectations and her school's rules is the fact that the school rules are written down and posted all over the place. They are there to remind and for reference when in doubt.

Together, Ellie and I are now making up our own list of rules that we will post in several locations throughout the house. She's actually excited about it and I am giddy with the possibilities. Do you have a similar list in your house? If so, what exactly is on it?