Syllabus Woes

School starts soon, so I'm in the process of updating my syllabus. It annoys the crap out of me that I have to put things in it like: don't read a newspaper in class. Or: don't listen to your iPod in class. Every semester it's a challenge to maintain control. There's the kid who's text-messaging, the one with the headphones in one ear, the one studying for an exam in a different class, the one coming in 15 minutes late, the one talking to her friends, the one reading a book (I guess that's a good thing!). I always start off strict, but by the end of the semester I could care less. Me and the kids are both ready for it to be over. When I'm trying to actually teach them something, it's a pain to stop everyday and say "take off the headphones," "stop texting," "stop whispering," "stop reading e-mail," "stop reading the paper," "stop doing WHATEVER." I'm not their freaking mother. By this point they should know better. I'm thinking of backing off some of my rules this semester and seeing what happens. If they listen to music during class everyday they shouldn't be surprised if they make an "F."