Do we have to?
“Aw, come on! Let’s play one more game.” “We can’t. We have to go home
now.”
David and Betty didn’t want to leave. They were
having too much fun. But helping to set the table is a rule in their
family. It was getting close to suppertime. If they didn’t hurry, they’d
be late.
There are other rules in their family, too. There are rules for bedtime.
There are health rules. And there
are rules for doing things—like taking out the garbage and cleaning up
their rooms.
Like most people, David and Betty sometimes try to get out of doing what
they are supposed to do. Once in a while, David “forgets” to take out
the garbage. And he often complains about having to wash his hands
before he eats.
There are times when Betty leaves her room in a mess because she doesn’t
feel like putting away her toys. And she almost always fusses about
having to go to bed before David, just because she is younger.
But most of the time, David and Betty are good about obeying in rules.
They know that families everywhere have rules. It’s the only way people
in the family can know what’s expected of them. And obeying the rules
makes living together easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
