The Rules

A few months ago a couple of my friends and I started a Joy School program for our 2 year olds. We modified it some from the original program because our kids are younger than the normal 3-4-5 year olds who can handle 2-3 hours 2-3 times a week. Plus since we're the teachers too, none of us could handle the thought of the time or energy that would take. One of the we do each week is review the Joy School Rules. In October we had the class here at our apartment, which meant that for the month we had a BIG poster hanging on the wall with the rules. They're pretty simple: no hitting or pushing/ be nice to your joy school friends, walk with quiet feet, talk with quiet voices, clean up the toys, sit still and listen when someone is talking.

A couple weeks after we sent the Joy School poster on to the next home, we hung up our own "House Rules". We had them printed in vinly lettering and hung them in the hall at toddlerish height. We try to review them as often as possible.

A couple days after they were up, Little Man was having an issue of some sort with Bug. I don't remember exactly what is was, but I asked him what the Rules were in our house. He replied that he didn't remember or didn't know. So I pointed him in the direction of the hall and told him to go and look. He walked instead to where the poster had hung and was devastated that it wasn't there. When I showed him the House Rules on the wall, he was so happy to see them there. He pointed at each one and recited his Joy School Rules.

"One! Don't hit. Three! Clean up. One!...."