Establishing house rules for children is an important aspect of parenting. A home without rules can cause a disruptive household and unruly children. Parents should take some time to decide what sort of rules should be set for the household. The rules should be fair and they should also apply to adults.
Setting house rules provides structure and consistency for children to grow up balanced and well-mannered. Children who grow up with rules in their homes can be more secure with themselves. A happy and structured home can help to reduce anxiety and stress in children.
25 Essential House Rules to Teach Children
Introducing house rules to your family might be slightly challenging in the beginning but with the right approach, it can be done. It’s important to discuss and ask for opinions when establishing the house rules.
The children should be included in this discussion as the house rules should be fair to everyone, age-appropriate and easy to understand.
Here are 25 essential house rules we think parents should teach to their growing children.
No Social Media
Parents should stay firm about the rule of not allowing young children to have social media accounts till they reach the required legal age. Social media is not healthy for growing minds and children should not be on social media, especially without supervision.
Respectful Language
Using respectful language applies when the person is upset or in the middle of an argument. Saying “no swearing” might cause the child to be disobedient and rebellious to try such language. Avoiding such words and staying respectful at home can show children that they don’t need to use swear words to communicate well.
Be Respectful to Everyone
This rule helps children to develop social skills and treat others with no prejudice. Being respectful to everyone can help the child to treat people around them fairly.
Safety First
Safety rules like wearing a seatbelt in the car, not playing with fire, not jumping on furniture and staying away from heights are important to keep children safe. These rules need to be constantly enforced by the parents so the child will make it a habit.
Make Amends
When a mistake is made, the next step after apologising is to make the situation better. Children should learn to make amends to make the situation better and this applies to parents too. Making amends shows that the person’s apology is sincere and it can help to settle arguments or disagreements positively. It can also help children to take ownership of making a mistake and understand that it’s okay to be wrong if they can be sorry and make it right.
Being Online
Everyone is online these days but there are certain rules that children need to follow when they are online. Their accounts need to be child accounts, the privacy setting should be set on high and parental control needs to be in place on certain apps. Parents need to check that the camera on the device is switched off when the child is using the device. Messaging or chatting apps should be hidden or disabled to discourage children to chat with strangers online.
Think Before Speaking
Children are notoriously honest with their feelings and they might say something inappropriate and rude unintentionally. This might not be a good habit to have as they grow older. The objective of this rule is to encourage the child to think before they speak, especially when they are upset. This rule shouldn’t suppress the child’s opinion or punish the child for having an opinion.
Family Chores
Doing chores is a great way for children to help out with keeping the household clean. Children who are given the responsibility to do chores can feel a sense of accomplishment and ownership while learning new skills. Each family member should contribute towards the household by doing chores. Simple chores like clearing the dinner table after the meal can be a happy family activity and time spent making nice memories.
Family Meetings
Family meetings are important because this is when every family member’s opinion is valued. Having family meetings is an occasion where changes to the home are discussed and everyone needs to be involved. No one should feel left out, no matter how old or young they are.
No Physical Violence
The no-hitting rule is important for sibling fights to be non-violent. Children can get carried away when they are fighting or upset and they might hit another child or adult. Parents can explain to the child that hitting is wrong and they should not have to hurt another person to relieve their emotions. It is also important for the child to learn about self-defence when they grow older.
Sharing
Children don’t necessarily like to share their toys or food because they might not understand the concept.
Screen Time
Excessive screen time is a common parenting problem at this age. Children these days will inevitably be using screens to play and learn. But as parents, we can set a timetable to control the time our children spend in front of screens. Children might not appreciate this rule as they don’t see the harm. Parents can share videos that detail the effects of too much screen time. This should be for educational purposes only and not to scare the child into submission.
Never Leave Home without Informing a Parent
Children should not leave their homes without informing a parent or another adult. This is an important safety rule that all children need to follow without exceptions. The children need to understand that they cannot venture out alone without their parents.
Apologise
When a mistake has been made, the right thing to do is to apologise. Children need to see their parents doing this as it’s not easy to say sorry when emotions are running high. When a parent can apologise to a child for their mistake, it can teach the child that saying sorry isn’t something embarrassing. This can help to build character, develop social skills and help the child to be more empathetic to others.
No to Bullying
There should be a ‘no bullying’ policy, especially if the home has more than one child. Children tend to bully each other at times, even if it’s not meant to be malicious. Bullying should not be encouraged in any way and siblings need to respect and care for each other.
Ask Before Borrowing
Taking other family member’s belonging without permission can cause problems in the household.
Make this rule applicable to everyone in the home. When using or borrowing someone else’s things, permission needs to be asked.
If this rule is not followed there should be consequences like time-outs or losing certain privileges.
Clean Up Messes
Children can be messy and it’s all part of growing and developing their motor skills. Finger painting, colouring and playing with the toys can leave the play area in a mess.
This rule helps the child to be responsible about their toys and space after they have finished playing. Gently encourage the child to clean up their play area and you can even make it like a game so they can understand and get used to this rule.
Knocking Before Entering
Knocking closed doors before entering is a rule that helps everyone in the family respect each other’s privacy. This house rule helps children to respect other people’s personal space.
Invading another family member’s privacy can be impolite so this rule can help everyone to live in a comfortable environment.
Personal Hygiene
Caring for personal hygiene is a good habit for children to cultivate. Children should not cut corners when it comes to brushing their teeth or taking showers. They need to understand that bad hygiene can cause illness and might also isolate them from their friends.
Honesty
Encourage adults and children to tell the truth. Create a space where the child has physical and emotional safety, to tell the truth.
Parents need to be objective and focus on problem-solving when their child is in trouble. More importantly, parents need to be role model for the child. The child should understand that they are loved and valued even though telling the truth might not paint them in the best light.
Parents should also tell the truth so the children can understand that honesty is a good quality to have no matter how old a person is.
Keep Parents In the Loop
Children need to update parents if there are any changes in their school, homework or any other activities. This is an important rule because parents might not be able to cope or help their child with the change of plans at the last minute.
It’s advisable to have a central place in the home where schedules or plans for the week are updated for the whole family.
Put Things Back
The rule of putting things back where they belong is a house rule that can help parents to reduce clutter.
When enforcing this rule, ensure that you praise the child when they follow the rule to encourage them. This rule can help the child to appreciate their things and be respectful of other people’s belongings.
Saying “Please” and “Thank You”
Speaking politely with good manners is important to instil in young children.
But it’s best not to force children to say magic words like “please” and “thank you”. Forcing children to do so might make them resentful of the habit.
Instead, explain the meaning of the words and teach them about being thankful when something is done or given to them.
Don’t Interrupt
Sometimes children can get overexcited and interrupt adults in the middle of a conversation. They might not understand that this is rude so parents can firmly and gently practice the ‘don’t interrupt’ rule at home. Teach children to wait for a pause or wait till the person has finished speaking to talk.
Respond When Spoken To
Speaking when spoken to is an important habit for children to learn and practice. At times young children can be distracted by toys, screens or other things and they might ignore an adult who is speaking to them. This rule is to help the child to be attentive when they are spoken to and to respond appropriately.
Super Kids Club
Encourage your children to spend their screen time on educational and fun content.
Motherhood’s Super Kids Club is tailored to provide young children with beneficial content to help them develop important life skills.
Registration for new members is free and there are many amazing benefits to be enjoyed. New members can redeem a 1-Day Kids Go Free Legoland voucher and a Super Kids activity box.
Children can join weekly STEAM-based workshops led by experienced educators. These workshops are fun and can help the child to interact with other children online.
Members will also enjoy unlimited access to the Super Kids Club educational videos and fun downloadable printable activity sheets.
There are also annual field trips and monthly deals for the Super Kids Club members.
Essential Values Can Help Mould Children to Be Respectable and Responsible
Using house rules is advantageous for both the parents and children of the household.
A life with structure and routine can help children to develop their personalities and sense of responsibility.
Raising respectful and responsible children starts from home and implementing house rules lets them learn self-discipline at a young age.
Parents must model good behaviour and follow the house rules with their children.
Setting house rules with no enforcement will not benefit the family and might cause a chaotic household.
When rules are broken, it provides an opportunity for parents to discuss the importance of these house rules with their children, reinforcing their purpose and teaching the consequences of actions.
It’s crucial to handle broken rules in a balanced and educational manner, rather than purely punitive. This approach fosters understanding, and growth, and ultimately, helps to maintain a harmonious and respectful household.
The house rules should be updated from time to time according to the child’s age to fit the requirements of the parents.
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