Little I was telling me about a new adult in his life this morning and mentioned that she had said that her only rule is “Don’t die.” I laughed and replied that those are the kinds of rules someone can have when they don’t have children. I assured him that, once they spent some more time together, she’d start having more rules.

For example, this weekend I found myself decreeing the following new rules around the house…

• Don’t leave your alcohol unattended around the baby
• Don’t pee in your own bath (because maybe peeing in someone else’s bath is still an option?)
• Don’t hit someone bigger than you unless you’re sure you can win.

I also have been reading a lot about the parenting of step-children lately. Not that there’s much parenting I have to do with nearly adult teenagers, but it’s just interesting to me to learn about blended family dynamics. I’ve also gotten a lot of insight into how my own children might interact within a new family dynamic. For example, I have learned that the biological parent should be the major source of guidance and discipline. That’s what led me to say the following:

Yeah, the biological parent is supposed to provide the majority of the guidance. That’s why it’s ok for me to threaten to shoot Little I in the ass with a Nerf gun, but it’s not ok for you to ask him to keep trying on pants you know are too small.

The true art of motherhood is in the rule making.