Answer: Try these on for size!

1.  Never make a promise you don’t keep.

This is a Stephen Covey rule  (author of  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Covey explains:

“Keeping a commitment or a promise is a major deposit; breaking one is a major withdrawal. In fact, there’s probably not a more massive withdrawal than to make a promise that’s important to someone and then not to come through. . . People tend to build their hopes around promises. . . I’ve tried to adopt a philosophy as a parent never to make a promise I don’t keep. I therefore try to make them very carefully, very sparingly, and to be aware of as many variables and contingencies as possible so that something doesn’t suddenly come up to keep me from fulfilling it.” (p 193)

2.  Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean!

I read that somewhere, and thought it was an excellent summing up of a lot of good rules for parents.