The Rule on the Fridge

The first time we used “the rule on the fridge”, it was during a phase when it seemed like every little thing would send Ellie into panic mode.  You probably know the sound, right?  High pitched, escalating in volume, occasionally accompanied by fits of tears, ending in everyone getting really upset with each other.

“Oh, no!!!!!!!  My butt’s still wet!!”

“Ahhhhh!!!  I can’t get this open!”

“Toby’s gonna try to steal my lunch!”

I titled this behavior “freaking out” & we immediately made a rule against it.  On an index card, I wrote in bold letters: NO freaking out and gave it a prominent spot on the refrigerator door.  At first, she really didn’t like this whole having a rule thing, but I really did.  Instead of negotiating or trying to calm her down when “the toilet paper was just trying to get on the floor” or her “pants were just trying to be tricky”, I simply pointed to the fridge and asked, “What’s the rule?”

We used this rule for about two weeks until it was no longer needed.  The girl who used to panic & literally get her knickers in a twist had become… a problem solver.

After football season ended, Ellie was having a hard time taking direction from her Daddy.  If he asked her to do something, her response was an argumentative grunt followed by some sticking out of the tongue.  I refuse to raise a brat, so the next rule was:  Be Respectful.

Again, it worked like a charm.

TODAY, after returning home from story time at the library I took one good look around the house & declared it a total mess.

“Ellie, after lunch you need to clean up your toys.  You have magnets all over the floor & in different places.  You know how grumpy it makes me when you play like this.”  

“Mom… I’m making a new rule,” she announced.  She grabbed an index card and a pencil and began to “write”.  Then she turned and showed it to me.  “Do you see this, Mom?  It says “No getting angry about messes” and she placed it on the fridge.

That’s one way to solve a problem!