Parents, like governments, establish credibility by seeing to it that their ‘‘policies’’ (the rules that they outline for their children) are time consistent.

Analyze the potential for time consistency of these rules:

a. If you don’t eat the squash, you’ll go to bed 30 minutes early tonight!

b. If you get any grades below a C, you won’t be allowed to watch television on school nights!

c. If you don’t go to my alma mater, I won’t pay for your college education!

d. If you marry that disgusting person, I’ll disinherit you!