1. Not talking when mom or dad are talking.

2. Fix your problems with your brother(s) or I’ll fix them (and you may not like my solution).

3. Tell your mother that you love her food, every time she cooks you a meal.

4. If we pick you up late from a sports practice or club meeting — deal with it and have no attitude when you get in the car. Be happy to have a “parent limo service” that you don’t pay for.

5. Don’t talk so loud that dad can’t hear your conversation with mom.

6. Don’t waste mom and dad’s money drinking bottled water in the house. As it stands, most bottled water IS tap water. Bottled water is no safer than the water we drink from the tap in the United States. And several studies have shown that tap water is considered to taste better than bottled water in blind tests. (Blind tests are when the people taking the test don’t know if they are drinking tap or bottled water when they say which tastes better.) Drinking tap water costs about 50 cents a year per person. Drinking the same amount of bottled water costs about $1,400 a year. Stop being a fool! One day I want you to be able to say, “My dad didn’t raise a fool!”

7. Don’t touch dad’s leftover Chinese food or mom’s dessert.

8. These words work very well: “Hello.” “Hello.” “I love you.” “Please.” “Thank you.” “Yes Dad.” “Yes mom.” “Yes, sir/ma’am.” “No sir/ma’am.” Use them, use them.

9. Keep your room clean or expect to lose privileges.

10. During family meals at home or when we are in a restaurant: sit up straight; use your fork and knife; close your mouth while chewing; and stay seated until I finish.

11. Chew gum with your mouth closed. The world doesn’t want to hear you chew or see the gum in your mouth. Good manners for a horse are not good manners for you.

12. Make your bed every day.

13. Put your dirty clothes in the basket.

14. Never tell me you’re bored. For the most part, only boring people get bored.

15. Don’t ask me the same thing over and over again… I respond badly when harassed.

16. When I ask you a question, I want the answer to my question. The more evasive you are, the harder I get.

17. Don’t be a selfish member of the family.

18. Homework comes first.

19. Don’t lie to me. That leads to all kinds of problems.