At 4 and 6, my sons could define the Socratic method, the five keys to situational awareness, the three steps to an emergency, and a whole host of other rules for life. It might be the thing I'm most proud of as a Dad. Here's how I did it.

We started small with the first three rules in the video: What's the most important thing? Truth! What's the second most important thing? Responsibility! What's the third most important thing? Love. This helped get them acclimated to the prompt/response framework.

Then, I began to add one new rule a week. We'd spend one whole week on each concept. We didn't just teach them rote memorization; we actually discussed how and when they apply. My wife and I worked with them daily on that specific rule.

Once a week, usually on a Sunday, we would sequence the rules. The base rules (meaning rules that were already memorized), and then we would add the new week's rule into the sequence. This proved to be a perfect cadence.

The rules came from our studies (reading, watching, listening) and other people we respect and admire. I hope to give my children a lexicon of principles they can draw from as they grow up and meet life's challenges.

We don't add rules as often anymore. My boys are 6 and 8 now, and the rules have mostly remained unchanged. I don't want to add rules for the sake of it. However, we will add new rules or even modify existing rules as we deem necessary.

As a family, each time we encounter a problem, we always try to define which rule(s) applies. If we can't find an applicable rule for the situation, that's usually a perfect signal for my wife and me that we need to find the applicable principle and integrate it into the rules.

My sons bring these rules up all the time. I remember my eldest son surrounded by a mess he made and now had to clean. He said sullenly, "I made an easy choice." (Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life). In fact, I credit the rules for saving my youngest son Ronan's life.

Ronan got a dummy vitamin lodged in his throat and couldn't breathe. I did the Heimlich so hard I thought I would break his ribs. It didn't work. Thank goodness, I had purchased the DeChoker as an impulse after seeing a Facebook ad and remembered just in time.

The very first thing Ronan said to me was, Dad, I stayed calm! The three rules in an emergency are Step 1: Stay calm; emotions are deadly. Step 2: Assess the situation and focus on what you do know. Step 3: Take action. The worst action is inaction.

I do not expect my children to understand all of the rules fully; they're far too young. However, I hope that integrating them this early will make them far more accessible years from now. I want them to be able to draw from them and watch them evolve as they do.

You can see the full list here.

I would love y'all's opinions on other rules or facts I may miss!