Once I started making dinner last night I discovered a fatal flaw in Lion’s new rule. He’s already in the kitchen putting together the coffee pot. How much of a stretch is it for him to put the utensils away? He’s likely to never break this rule. I need a simple rule that’s fairly easy for him to break.
I’m not a monster. I don’t want to punish Lion for stupid things. It’s more to keep us in practice. If he follows all his rules, I’ll start forgetting to watch. And if I’m not watching then maybe he’ll stop following the rules. We do not want that. Hence the search for a few simple rules for him to break.
The problem is, and I don’t say this to be mean, Lion doesn’t do much around the house. He’s not lazy. He would do more if he could. He would love to do more. His C5 palsy and rotator cuff issues prevent him from lifting and reaching. His vision affects his balance. Sometimes he’s a mess. Things he used to do are difficult, if not impossible, now.
Again, I’m not bashing Lion. He can’t help it. He does what he can. It will just take some creativity to come up with rules for him. It’s not like I can tell him to clean the bathroom. That’s too much. I may not even be able to tell him to clean the bathroom counter. Can he see well enough to clean it? Some days he may be able to. Other days, not so much.
Another thing I’ve been thinking about is the naked Lion rule. I’m wondering if this house is too drafty for him to be naked. He does wear a t shirt more often than he did in the other house, but maybe he needs to be allowed to wear pants if he’s cold. Granted, it’s not like it’s freezing in the house. We do have heat. But sometimes he huddles under the covers because he’s cold. That seems unnecessary. I won’t do away with the rule without talking to Lion first, but I have been thinking about it. [Lion — My office is pretty warm. I usually don’t even need a t-shirt. Sometimes in the late afternoon, I get cold. Pants probably won’t help that much. I’ve been naked for over ten years. Changing that is going to be something I would rather not do.]
I haven’t given up thinking about new rules. I’m sure there are suitable things I can do. It just might take some time.
Maybe a rule that he has to re supply the toilet paper or paper towels? They are light weight and I would think easy to carry. Also easy to replace on their holders. You could stop doing that entirely and he would have to make sure after you’ve used the bathroom that there is still paper on the roll. Not great rules but I think a small domestic chore that could be easily forgotten.
How did you know we’re down to the end of the paper towel roll? 🙂 This rule might work.
It’s a task I do and it’s always something that needs doing.
Swearing? My wife swears like a sailor, much moreso than I, but she does not tolerate the utterance of “G.. D…” By itself, ir followed by.. anything. The non-use if it became a hard rule in our household.