Random Rules

The other day I rounded a corner at church just in time to hear a friend of mine tell her son, "Don't pop your toes at church!" Apparently this eight-year-old had just been complaining that he didn't like his church shoes because he had to keep taking them off every time he wanted to pop his toes.

I found great amusement in this because I too have had to implement strange rules for my kids, rules that I never thought I would need. For example, "No playing with your feet during dinner." I suppose it is a rather sad commentary that we need such a rule at our house, but indeed we need it nonetheless.

So I mentioned our feet touching rule to my friend after hearing her toe popping story and she wondered what other weird rules she had that were specific to her family. A few minutes later as I was walking out of the building she caught up to me to tell me she thought of one. Evidently at their house they have had a problem with children reaching over the dinner plates of others to grab things during the meal. Therefore they have enacted the policy that if someone reaches their arm in front of someone else while eating that person is authorized to gently bite the offending arm!

I think we all have those kinds of rules. Rules that are very specific to our own families. Rules that may seem strange to others.

Any random rules at your house?