Easy Ways To Create House Rules For Kids

Have kids in your house? Then chaos mustn’t be a new thing for you. People love kids, but at the same time, they don’t like chaos. Most by now have come to think that kids and chaos come hand in hand. What if we told you there’s a way out? House rules. Yes! You read it correctly. Ever wondered if you can’t manage 3-4 kids in-house how schools manage with thousands of them? It’s rules! Rules make a child’s life systematic and disciplined. Hence it is important to have house rules for kids.

Why House Rules are Important?

• Rules help to decide how your family members will treat each other.
• Helps to decide how your family will look to an outsider.
• They will make sure your family is disciplined.
• They will make sure there is coordination among family members and they get along better.
• They make a family more peaceful and positive.

How Should Parents Make House Rules?

1. Write Them Down and Display :

Kids don’t always remember all the rules. It better to write down the rules and paste them in some prominent place of the house where every member can see them properly. For very small kids, you can take pictures and drawings to make them understand.

2. Different Age Groups:

If you are having children of different age groups then you must make different rules for each one of them. At the same time remember not to neglect anyone. For example- you can’t have the same study hours for 8 years old and 14 years old.

3. Rules When Inside and Outside The House:

Children can not behave the same way outside the house as they do inside the house. Stricter rules must be made for outside the house and kids must be taught to be disciplined.

4. Practice:

As it said that you must practice what you preach, so you yourself must make sure to follow the rules. You will set an example for your kids. Once they know you are not strict with the rules, the next thing you know is they are not following it.

5. Praise:

This works as a great motivator. So make sure to praise them when they do the right thing or follow the rule. Praise works better, so make it matter.

6. Discuss with Your Partner:

As it is a matter which will decide your child’s future as to how they will behave, it is very important to discuss it with your partner. Think about what you want to accomplish by this and then step further.

7. Family Meeting:

It is always advisable to decide the rules when all the family members are present. Involving children while making rules will make them understand the seriousness and they will think it as fair play.

8. Review Rules:

It is good to review and change the rules from time to time. It will help you see your progress and also add the necessary changes each time you review them.

9. Teamwork:

It is teamwork. It will not work if even one of the members is not coordinating. It will teach you to respect and give space to each other’s opinions in a household.

Important House Rules For Kids:

While there are many ways and house rules, below mentioned are some of the basic rules which every household must follow.

1. Safety Rule:

It is the foremost rule which is needed. Both emotional and physical safety is important. Physical safety like “do not jump in the furniture”, “open and close the doors and windows slowly” etc will not only help for their safety but also teach them to care for the objects. Emotional safety like “tell us freely when you feel down”, “speak kind words” etc will help keep a check.

2. Healthy Habits:

Healthy habits help build a disciplined life for the kids as they grow older. They will ensure your kids grow up to be good human beings. Habits like “wash your hands properly”, “Practice good dental hygiene and body hygiene” etc will ensure that your kids stay healthy.

3. Morality Rules:

Morality definitely plays a major role in shaping the type of person your kid will become when they grow older. Moral rules like “tell the truth”, “be honest”, “apologize when you are wrong”, “listen to and respect your elders”, etc will help instill moral values in your child. They will help in increasing the moral standards of your kids.

4. Build Social Skills:

Social skills are absolutely essential for the all-around development of your kid. It will make your kid socially acceptable in their peer groups. They will learn the fundamental manners while being in a group. Social skills like “share your things”, “knock on closed doors before entering” etc are what a child must learn.

5. Real-World Skills:

Once kids leave home they come face to face with the real world. A child must learn how to tackle situations that they face in the real world. This will help them learn how to handle money and take up responsibilities.

Here are few ideas of house rules for kids

Knock on a closed-door before entering.
Limit screen time to an hour a day
Make amends when you hurt someone
Tell the truth
Teach them the value of please and thank you.
Practice good dental and body hygiene
Attend family socials
Choose your word wisely
Following through, put words into action
Listen to and respect your elders
Don’t be a bully
Teach active listening and empathy
Teach them the value of money
If you make a mess, clean it
No matter what “I love you”

What To Do When Rules Are Broken?

Parents generally turn aggressive when children break rules. But it will not help them in long run. They will turn to be rebellious when you decide something against their rules. Make sure your children are also present while deciding the consequences of breaking rules. They learn to accept the consequences. You can simply remind them when they break any rule and warn them against it. Make sure everyone understands and agrees on whatever consequences are finally decided. It will help keep a healthy family.