Let's clarify...

I thought the fighting would stop once school started.  I have been doing this job long enough that I should have known better!  It turns out, that the only thing to change is my tolerance for the fighting has been lowered now that school has started.  So after a very disagreeable Friday night which resulted in a lot of screaming and crying all over the neighborhood, I decided to institute a new rule.  NO MORE FIGHTING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE!

It isn’t that I think the fighting is ok inside the house, but we have to start somewhere.  And, I am overly embarrassed when I can hear my child scream that something isn’t fair from two houses away while I am inside my house with the windows closed.  So after pulling the kids inside after yet another screaming/crying match, I began to explain the new rule like this:

“There will be no more fighting outside this house, do you understand?  I don’t care who starts it.  I don’t care who is involved in the fighting either.  If any of the three of you are involved in fighting outside then all three of you will be done playing outside for the day.  That means no more crying unless you are hurt and in need of medical attention.  It also means no more screaming unless you are perilous danger.  Do you all understand this new rule?”

Without missing a beat, Molly pipes up with a question for clarification.  In a most serious voice, she asks “Does that mean if a lion were to attack us in the backyard that we can scream? Would it be ok to scream then?”

I couldn't help but turn away because there was no way to suppress the smile while I answered “Yes, of course you may scream in the event of a lion attack.”  So glad we got that cleared up!