The other day, I picked up my four-year-old son from his pre-school and as we were driving out of the parking lot, he asked why he had to be buckled into his carseat. I explained that we all have to wear seatbelts. They keep us safe, and besides, those are the rules. (I’d been talking about rules a lot lately. At four, he’s pretty interested in how to push boundaries so I try to give him some clear parameters.)

He replied, “Mom, what are rules?”

That’s a great question. How do I explain rules to a four-year-old?