Mother of a Man-Child

Happy New Year to all – back into the routine with a vengeance (being back at work will do that to you)!  I am the first to admit the almost 3 week break which included the joyous madness that is Christmas was absolutely delightful, and a wonderful way to recharge the batteries after what was an incredibly busy but fruitful year.

We seemed to spend the time doing a lot of all the things one should – sleeping, exercising, eating wonderful food, catching up with friends, lounging on the beach, enjoying fine wine and G&T’s – is there a drink more synonymous with summer holidays?

Whilst some might complain about the weather over the Xmas/new year period, I didn’t mind the mixed bag at all, as it allowed us down time and the opportunity to do other things that we might not have done if it was a heat wave.  The latter was naturally saved for the week we were back home and I was at work, and quite frankly, that wasn’t a bad thing.  There is hot, and then there is OMG, that is so frigging stinking hot I can’t breathe/sleep/eat/walk/think…….

The men-children and their sister all loved their holiday too – not that we saw much of the boys – they were out every day, out every night, busy hanging with their friends and generally having a good time.  We did survive another New Years Eve “pres” (short for pre-party drinks), which interestingly turned into more of a “gathering” in my book, since they were at our place until 11ish, but a year older and wiser, it all seemed to go quite smoothly.   It might have had something to do with the consent form we insisted they all sign upon arrival, confirming parental permission to drink and waiving any responsibility by us for them once they elected to leave our home and go elsewhere.  The next day I was so relieved that we had no major incidents, that I took to playing Mother Theresa and fed them all (or rather their hangovers) with pasta and toasties.

As you would expect, the minute we walked in the door, the boys (rarely together over the holiday break) proceeded to fight as usual upstairs.  How easily they slipped back into their routine, squabbling about whose clothes had been left on the bathroom floor, or foodstuffs on the coffee table, etc.  It made our blood pressure rise instantly, undoing all the good of a relaxing holiday.  And as is my preference, I immediately put pen to paper, in an effort to get them back on track.  They both came home the following day to the sign below on their bedroom doors – a subtle reminder of how we expect them to behave, and to let them know who is boss (okay, stop laughing)!

So there they are, for your amusement, enjoyment, and reference, should you need them at some point in the future.

House rules

• Please do not leave dirty plates/bowls/cups/rubbish in lounge area for more than 24 hours (consider educating your friends to do the same!).
• Please do not leave your belongings lying around in the lounge – your bedrooms are the place for your personal effects.
• Please do not leave your dirty clothes in the bathroom – either put them in your room or better still the washing basket.
• Please hang up your towels when wet rather than leave them on the floor.
• If you both want to play loud music and/or watch TV then one should use the headphones, especially if homework is being done.
• If you want to borrow things from each other please ask first.  And similarly, if you refuse a reasonable request then have a good reason.
• Please respect each other’s rooms and do not enter bedrooms uninvited.
• Please let us know where you are going and when you are returning home. We pay for your phones so NO excuses.
• Please do not help yourselves to things that are not yours without asking.

I’d like to say there has been a marked improvement since the sign went up, but as one has been on a rowing camp for the last week, the issues don’t exist.  We shall see what happens upon his return!

Do you have your own set of “house rules” for your kids? Do you have them posted somewhere?  We could probably have another set in the kitchen now that I think of it. 🙂