If you know my sister, you’d describe her as disciplined, a by-the-book kind of person who sticks to the rules but still knows how to have fun within those boundaries.

One summer during primary school, we spent our break at our uncle’s beach house. Every day, after breakfast, we’d head to the beach with our cousins, come back for lunch, and then, like clockwork, take an afternoon nap. Or, at least, we were supposed to—no one actually slept!

On especially dull days, we’d entertain ourselves by switching the pictures around in those cheap frames, which drove our uncle crazy. After “nap time,” we’d go back to the beach, but not without stopping for ice cream first. One day, though, one ice cream didn’t cut it, and we wanted more. The only problem was, we didn’t have any extra money.

We knew that if we asked our uncle for more pocket money and mentioned we already had ice cream, he’d say no—not because of the cost, but because two ice creams in one day would be “too much.” So, we hatched a plan: we’d tell him we spent our money on sweets and didn’t have enough left for ice cream, hoping he’d give us a bit more. My sister wasn’t thrilled with this idea, but deep down, she was on board.

So off we ran to put our plan into action, and it worked like a charm! Guess who was the first to sprint to the ice cream shop? My sister. I think she felt a bit guilty about the trick, though, because after that day, she put a picture of our mom in a 5×7 frame and kept it in her drawer, bringing it with her wherever she went.

Don’t follow all the rules, or you might miss out on some fun!

Now, as a mom of two, I see my own kids bending the rules and trying to get away with things. It’s amusing, actually, because moms always know. I used to wonder how adults could see right through our little schemes, but now I get it—experience reveals everything.

Looking back, I’m sure my uncle knew exactly what we were up to. If you understand which rules you can occasionally bend and which ones you can’t, you’ve won half the battle—as long as the adult involved is okay with it. Otherwise, forget it!

I’d love to have a picture of my sister that day, enjoying her second ice cream, with a custom sign that reads, “Rules are meant to be broken… sometimes, just for fun!”