rules and children

Somedays I wonder where the good ol' days went where you could chastise your child without being accused of something outlandish and crazy!!! I mean when did we decide that our children should have a new set of rules that really aren't rules in the first place. I went on a camping trip with my step child's school and one of the rules was that the girls were NOT supposed to bring make-up and if they "accidently" brought it they were not to wear it...the first morning there I noticed a mom with a bunch of girls telling them to move. I later asked her what happened...she said, " Oh, a couple of them brought make-up and were taking up the mirror so I told them to take it to their bunks." I said, " Isn't that against the rules?" The other mother proceeded to tell me that there was no point in confiscating it. The thought that ran through my mind is, HELLO IT IS THE RULES!!! I mean where do we draw the line and say that this here and there is a rule but its okay to break this and that. That does not work. I am not saying one should be perfect, nobody is- I sure as heck am not. But when we are rearing our children I firmly believe that they need strict rules and ideals to learn respect and morals.
NOTE: I mean no offense to any parents or parental figures - this is simply my general observation of the world at large.