A rule is designed to establish order and harmony in household. If you constantly break household rules, you are probably better off not having them. Try to be realistic. Make a rule that is reasonable and that everyone, including yourself, can easily follow.

Don’t Create Rules that You Intend to Break If They are Inconvenient

Don’t make a rule that you plan to violate regularly at your convenience. A rule is created to serve as a guideline regardless of whether it’s convenient or not. However, don’t be totally inflexible. As you now, there are exceptions to rules.

Occasionally, you have to be flexible to accommodate these exceptions. For instance, I have a rule that food should not be brought into bedroom. However, when one of my children is sick, then this rule does not apply. I’m not saying that we should be flexible all time. In essence, there should be a compelling reason to break a rule.

Make Role Modeling as Your Passion

Make role modeling as your interest and passion. Enjoy doing it. Practice and master it. Observe how you speak and behave in front of your family. Make sure that behaviour you show is same behaviour you want your kids to learn and that your speech should reflect what you want to hear from them.

You can’t preach that they should be happy and enjoy life when you’re grouchy all time. You can’t teach your children good moral values if you’re making a plan on how to cheat your neighbour — in front of your children’s watchful eyes.

In eyes of your children, you are a hero. They love to hear you and watch you. They love to be around you. They even love to be like you.

So watch out. Your speech and behaviour becomes your child. Commend yourself if your children turn out to be good people. But don’t blame anyone if they show inappropriate behaviour. Remember — they are just trying to imitate you.

Copyright © 2004. Dr. Michael G. Rayel – author (First Aid to Mental Illness–Finalist, Reader’s Preference Choice Award 2002) psychiatrist, and inventor of Oikos Game: A Personal Development and Emotional Skills Game. For more information, please visit www.oikosgame.com.

Christmas

Evergreen boughs! These can be used for centerpieces, mantle displays, arranged around candles, displayed on your wall with bulbs and other items. Add some pine cones, silk pointsettias, birds, etc. as well.

One of my favorite decorations is a pretty glass bowl or basket filled with colorful glass balls, pine cones, and little evergreen boughs. This makes a wonderful centerpiece or coffee table display.

Make a pretty potpourri basket filled with pine cones, evergreen sprigs, dried oranges/apples.

Decorate empty canning jars and turn them into Christmas lanterns with votive candles.

Decorate your dining room chairs with pretty ribbon.

Turn old cds into mini-wreaths for your tree. Glue small pine cones, glitter, cotton (for snow), evergreen boughs, ribbon, stars, tiny glass balls.........the possibilities are endless. You have never seen all those free CD's put to such good use and what a fun project for whole family!

Look around your house and use your imagination. Almost everything can be turned into a pretty decoration with a little creativity and work. ;-)

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