Some children love them, some children don’t, some children know what they are and others do not have a clue what they are…… RULES! There is a reason why we have rules. The main one is that rules make children feel safe and secure. They tell our children what they can and cannot do within and outside of the home so they know what mum, dad, grownup expect of them. Everyone has rules regardless of whether they are a child, parent or employee. We all have to adhere to rules that dictate and shape our daily lives. They are part of growing up. If there are no rules then there are no consequences and children need to learn how to follow rules because they are everywhere. They also need to know what happens when you don’t follow them.
Make Children Feel Safe By Having Rules
So how many rules do you have at home? Too many and your children will not know what they are. Too little and your children will not be behaving the way you would like them to. There needs to be a balance. There needs to be enough boundaries for the child to feel secure but not too many so that it hinders the child to try new things. Where are the rules in your house? Are they visible in the kitchen on a wall or are they part of a reward chart of some sort? Visually displaying them may help your child remember what they are.
Has your child bought into the rules you have? I find that they are more likely to follow them if they understand what they mean and why you want them to follow them. Share the benefits of the rules as well as the consequences.
We all have different rules. Do you have enough or too many?
Setting rules is not always easy. To learn more about rules and boundaries have a peek at The Parent’s Toolkit.
Alternatively read my blog on the rules of setting rules.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
