Their rules are as follows:
1) Homework after school, done inside the house BEFORE play or T.V. {they were doing homework outside on the steps and balcony with their friends over! It always led to them straying away while mom was trying to catch the last few winks of sleep before nightshift that night}
2) In by 5:30 pm to eat and shower on a school night. (we have 2 showers but they both act like it will kill them if they're the first to shower. It also gets dark at 6:00-6:15 now, so I think this is reasonable.
3) One chore must be done daily. ONE. O-N-E... you'd think it was "clean the whole house the way they act. Chore is specified daily by me because I need help with different things on a daily basis.
4) No computer time will be given without my permission. PERIOD. I always catch difficult child (and sometimes her friend) on the computer when I am trying to sleep still before work.
5)No friend's in without permission. (I love their buds, but they come here because they love that difficult children & easy child's mom is "out of commission" and they can have the snacks and drinks my kids offer them constantly)We live in a small 2 bedroom apartment and I can't tell you how many times I've been woke up to kids in my small small living room and me in my pj's looking like 
! It's such an invasion of privacy, especially since none of the other mothers seem to be playing hostess.
6)Bed time for them is 8:45 pm. I made it 9 pm but it takes them 15 to unwind.
7) and last, if they take a sick day from school (usually not often) they cannot play outside when everyone else gets home.
i feel as if these rules are so straight forward it makes me sick when they don't bother to respect me to obey them. then, I am here trying to be consistent with consequences, when I am tired, cranky, and hurting from 8 and a half hours of work.
I know, I know,,,,, whining whining. I can't help it. I wish I had a husband to help. lol.
