This post came about after a  long weekend in which we had practices every negotiation, mediation and diplomacy technique known to teenage parents, in order to get our girls to tidy their rooms and shift back into beginning of the year study mode. Following the admittedly criminal neglect of the summer months (by all sides concerned – who couldn’t be bothered in the summer heat, to disturb the delicate statuesque), We finely got around to warnings and threats of sorts, that escalated down a spiraling road to the inevitable, familiar  discussion about the right of privacy vs basic hygiene.

While the dust settled and a ceasefire was achieved, in the grownup section of the house, a different discussion took place, about the   questionable effectiveness of warnings.

• Is a warning valid without a direct consequence?
• Is a warning more effective in a soft or high volume?
• Who needs to deliver the warning – the ‘bad cop’ or dad?

• What kind of erosion does the warning go through before it reaches the third child (since she’s obviously immune to methods that have proven themselves successful with the first two).

I started researching this subject looking for insight and wisdom, I ended up with no clear answers, but with an interesting and greatly amusing lesson.

This lesson also gave me a chance to introduce an old favorite  poem, ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph,

which I found, to my delight, on YouTube – read by the author.

The wonderful and very funny collection of road signs, lighten up the mood at the end and we collectively reached the conclusion that if you travel across Taiwan by car, a thorough research into street signs prior to your departure is probably a good idea.

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