If I Ran the Zoo

I just ran across this list while cleaning up today. It brought back some smiles.

A few months back, Dayna decided that she thought life would be better if kids got to make the rules. So we humored her and made a list of rules she would make or change.

1. There would be no consequences.

2. We should paint colors on the walls and not have things be boring white.

3. It should be okay to be sneaky.

4. We should keep our mouths closed when chewing.

5. We should be able to have snacks whenever we want, and when we're full, we're full.

6. We should be able to go to bed whenever we feel like it.

7. We shouldn't have to do chores until we want.

8. We should do what we want when we want to do it.

9. We shouldn't do anything we don't want to do.

Well, we discussed each new rule and what it might look like. For instance, with #3, how would we feel if someone was sneaky in the middle of the night and took our car. If we followed #1, then there would be no consequences for the person to took it. Then we remembered the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books that we read a few years back. In them, there were some very interesting natural consequences for eating what you want when you want, sleeping when you want, etc. Dayna decided some of those rules weren't very good, either.

Then Dayna grabbed a pen and started crossing off the rules she decided weren't very good after all. We're left with #2 and #4. Daddy & I agreed they were pretty good rules. You know, we've never really had a problem with any of us chewing with our mouths open, and I'm sick of the boring white walls, too.

Guess what Dan & I will be doing over spring break? Here's a clue: "Seacliff" and "Mandolin String." (Who comes up with the color names, anyway?)