Rules for Living with Adult Children

10) You are adults.  You live here. That means you do need to communicate at least when you will return.  As keeper of the home, you cannot stop me from worrying so eliminate the worry by communicating.

9) You have a phone. It is handy for phoning me to say, "I'll be home by..." and in case you didn't get the message, that's why we showed the movie E.T. to your younger brothers and sisters today...E.T. phone home. 

8) This is a home, not a hotel.  The kitchen is not room service and there are operational hours.  Once cleaned for the night, if you feel peckish, please tidy up afterwards --or risk your mom blogging about it to the world. 

7) The car, computers, telephones and appliances are all here for use, but are not exclusive.  If you need things exclusive, try after hours.  Memo to after hours laundry machine users...jumping the line to wash your clothes and leaving wet things out is a crime against mother.  Punishable by folding socks, dishes for a week and lots of yard work.  You have been warned.

6) Special orders don't upset us --you can cook your own food.  Special dishes not attended afterwards, do.

5) Television/movie entertaiment follows the rule of the younger.  You must adjust sensibilities to the most innocent. Yes, I know we've seen more than our fill of My Little Pony.  I've even agreed to ban it for the summer, but the rule of the younger stands even if MLP does not.

4) Ditto for music, conversations, etc.  No aging up the youngers.

3) Business hours of the home are 9-9 meaning, don't drop a "Hey, I'm thinking of (insert big ticket project/expense/life decision here) after midnight as a way of saying, "Goodnight Mom and Dad." because sleep is a premium resource around here and that's just not fair.

2) We know you're adults.  We also know, you'll still want us to be Mom and Dad on occasion.  Let us. 

1) We know your adults.  We will also sometimes need to let you be adults on occasion. Let us.

P.S. If you eat my emergency chocolate, replenish.  That is all.