Love Rules

At the beginning of every year, my kids come home with a list of classroom rules for me to review, sign, and return to the teacher. Along with the rules, there is a list of what the consequences will be if they are broken. Here are a few examples of the "classroom rules":

• I will follow directions the first time
• I will listen while others are talking
• I will keep my hands, feet and other objects to myself
• I will work quietly and not disturb others
• I will follow school rules and respect school property
• I will work and play in a safe manner
• Manners matter!
• Be a friend to everyone
• Share with everyone
• Help clean up

All of these rules are important for classroom management. Not only that, but every single one of them relates in one way or another to our own household rules. I am really working on teaching my children that we have rules in this house, and there are consequences to breaking them. The number one rule in our house? Love one another. They hear it over, and over, and over again.

This morning, my two oldest children got into it and came to mom to be referee. JS didn't want RL sitting next to him, but instead of working it out with words, he pushed her right off the chair. Rachael used words, but she mostly shouted them at him. Not good, all around.

I talked them through the situation and how they could have handled it differently, and then I dealt out the consequences. Consequence for JS: he doesn't get to sit in the chair the rest of the day because he pushed his sister. Since RL didn't do anything physical to her brother, but rather just needs to work on her communication skills, she got off with a warning. Then I made them apologize to each other and hug.

From there, I took it a step further and read to them and their siblings from Colossians 3:12-14. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." We discussed different ways that we can "put on love", and then I sent them off to school. Hopefully, this lesson will sink in and be noticeable here at home, at school, and in all other areas of their young lives.