For adults who expect kids to follow rules, there are plenty who do a pretty icky job of following them ourselves. I mean, sure, generally speaking, we aren't breaking any laws, but it drives me nuts from time to time, watching plenty of pleasant, professional, perfectly able adults just ignore the guidelines put in place to make life run smoothly!
I asked my friends recently where they got most annoyed with adult rule breakers and people were bubbling over with places.
- The gym. Come on people, at least wipe down your machines when people are WATCHING you.
- The grocery store. Maybe they aren't RULES, but let's show some consideration. Put your cart away. Get in the correct line for what you've got.
- Parking lots. If you don't make it in between the lines the first time, feel free to try again before you leave. And for goodness sake, if a spot is marked "for ________ only", don't be a jerk. Your SUV is clearly not compact. Your motorcycle doesn't belong in a parent with small children spot. And unless you're a fire truck, you don't belong in a fire line.
- Lines. If it's one line, and the cashier calls "next", let the NEXT person go. Don't assume she meant the next person to sprint over to her.
- Road rules. Don't text and drive. Seriously. We see you. And we're really hoping you get caught.
- Kid rules that are actually on the parent. Follow the activity dress code. Forgetting is one thing, teaching your kid that you don't respect what the teacher is trying to do is teaching a pretty horrible lesson. I got a story about a mom who consistently ignored guidelines like "long hair must be tied back for cooking class" or "black leotards for dance" because, and this is a quote that was repeated often "who even cares? It doesn't matter." It matters. Stop it.
- "Unspoken" rules. Let's be decent human beings. Turn off your phone at the movies. Flush the public toilets.
And of course...
The school carpool line. There is nothing that induces more rage in parents quite like this particular scene.
So come on people. Let's just follow the rules please.
