The Rules Don't Apply to Me!

I remember my mom making a comment once about my oldest brother. She said that when he got caught doing something that was against the rules he would reply that he knew the rules but didn't think they applied to him.

I am beginning to understand what she went through with him. James does not think the rules apply to him. His newest mischief making schemes involve outdoor freedom. He loves to be outside and the sunny days are too much of a temptation to him. He loves shoveling, and we have little patches of snow left over behind our house where the sun doesn't hit. Every time I turn my back he sneaks out the door to go play in the snow. (Too bad that squeaking door gives him away every time.) His latest attempt was at 9:00 at night. I heard the back door squeaking open and immediately knew where I was going to find James.

And as of this week, he now thinks he is big enough to ride his scooter around the block by himself. This is an example of giving an inch and they want a mile. The kids all know that the rule is to play inside the fence. But I let them ride on the sidewalk when school gets out so they can go meet Brooke. So the other day they are out riding their scooters and I see James going back and forth on the sidewalk. I go out and reprimand him, but again later find him on the sidewalk. Then as Doug pulls in from work and we are all playing outside James takes off down the sidewalk. I say to Doug, "He will go to the stop sign and then come back". Oh no, he doesn't! He watches us with a mischievious smile as he turns the corner and heads down the next street. We run over to the corner telling him to get back here and by then he is already to the next corner, laughing, just loving his freedom.

And the poor girls! This is the freedom they crave, but are too obedient to try for. I finally relented and let Brooke and Rachel walk around the block twice with James. If he is going to make a break for it I would rather they go with him to make sure he comes back, and they can enjoy a little freedom themselves.

And then yesterday he found a whole new level of defiance. The kids and I are feeding our neighbors cat while they are on vacation and yesterday we didn't make it over there until after dark. We start for home and James hangs out far behind us. "Just go", he says. So I start walking and when I am far enough away he comes to catch up. Then I start to cross the street, but James won't come. "Just go in the house and then I will come." I'm sorry, but that is not going to happen. But James won't budge either. He backs up into another neighbors yard and tries to blend in with the shadows. No amount of coaxing is going to bring him because he wants to cross the street and come in all by himself. I finally had to resort to carrying him, kicking and screaming, into the house.

I can see that I am going to have my hands full, because James is starting to think that the rules don't apply to him.