Brush and floss every morning, clean behind your ears, sit up straight 
and don't pick your nose.  Say please when you ask someone for something and 
say thank you when someone asks you if you want something.  Play nicely with 
the others; treat them like you'd want them to treat you.

     Don't sit around and watch television all day.  Go outside and get some 
exercise.  Wash your hands after you've come in.  Set the table -- forks on 
the left, knives on the right.  Don't start to eat until everyone has sat down 
and Grace has been said.  Don't sit with your elbows on the table and close 
your mouth when you chew your food.  Eat your vegetables -- there are people 
in the world with nothing to eat who would be glad for what you have.  Be sure 
that you take a bath before you go to bed.

     Do your homework and your chores before you do anything else, and don't 
think that we won't check first.  Go to bed at a reasonable hour, or you won't 
get up in the morning.  Don't stay on the phone too long, unless you want to 
pay the bills around here.

     Don't stay out late.  Don't drink or smoke or have sex or do drugs. 
 Don't talk back!  You should show respect for your elders.  When you get to 
my age then you can make your own rules, but while you're living under my roof 
you're going to follow what I say.  Watch your language; we never would have 
gotten away with using words like that when I was a kid.

     Try not to stay out too late, or at least call if you're going to be 
late.  If you drink, either call a cab or call us -- don't try to drive home 
by yourself.  Don't let any of your friends drive if they're intoxicated.  And 
if -- if you decide -- if you're going to have sex, be sure -- make sure -- 
that you use protection.

     Work hard.  Make us proud.  Think about your future.  Start now, or you 
won't have time to do it later.  Save your money, instead of spending it on 
foolish things.  It's neither easy nor cheap to go to college nowadays.

     You'll just have to try harder, then.  Always do your best.  If 
you've tried your hardest and failed, then you know that you did what you 
could.  If you haven't, then you'll always know that you could have done more, 
and maybe things would have come out in a different way.

     You're on your own, now.  No one is going to tell you what to do.