Rules

Everywhere I go there are rules -
different ones for my homes and my school.
My mom tells me yes and my dad tells me no -
I'm either going too fast or going too slow.

I shouldn't throw toys - unless it's a ball
I'm outside - 
and it's summer -
or fall.
I can't stay up late, watching TV, 
I can't always hold it when I have to go pee!

I get real excited when I can help out
So excited, sometimes, that I let out a shout!
"TOO LOUD! BE QUIET!" I'm told with a roar,
Then helping out turns into a chore.

I get mad sometimes, being told what to do,
I'm trying my best to be good for you!
I wish adults would remember,
though it's a bit sappy,
The best rules are just two: Be nice and
be happy.

The oth­er day I read a quote attrib­uted to Neil deGrasse Tyson that said “We spend the first year of a child’s life teach­ing it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down.” Being a par­ent is a bit like being the wind try­ing to bal­ance a tightwire walk­er. Stress­ful for the wind, but how much more so for the tightwire walk­er who’s try­ing to do it them­selves? My son is inher­ent­ly full of joy, and I tried to put myself in his shoes while writ­ing this, while adding a reminder at the end for adults to keep some per­spec­tive.