Establishing Rules for our Children

Hey everyone! Can you believe we are midway through July? Summer gives way to parents loosening up on some of there daily routines I thought I'd revisit one of my favorite topics, House Rules.

Rules should...

• be tested, broken and amended accordingly. 
• nothing should be followed blindly or set in stone.

This is part of our kids journeys as they grow up but parents, let’s make things easier on ourselves. We need to learn to establish and stick to the rules we set and amend them when needed and as our children get older.

illustration by pinterest.com

These were some of my house rules:

• Homework is always first, then playtime.
• Must have breakfast every morning
• Bedtime was 8 pm, after 6th grade it increased by an hour.
• Sleepovers were only allowed if I knew the parent and had visited their home at some point, even if to drop off for a play date. This was amended as my daughter became a teen.
• No last minute request to stay over at friends house or to go visit a friends house, period. Always required ample time to gather all information.
• No friends in the room with door closed. This rule was amended after 6th grade.

Lil mama and I speak on this often and she comments about how necessary rules are even when our kids rebel. She states how grateful she was for having them because they kept her focused and out of trouble.

Do you feel that the same rules apply across the board at all ages and for all things? Are there rules with no exceptions?

illustration by indietabletop.net

My perspective is we must embrace flexibility, allow our children the right to question our rules and express their feelings on them. Nothing is set in stone and each child is different so for the best outcomes we should be willing to compromise.

Are there rules with no exceptions? What are some of your rules? Do you recall the rules your parents had for you and how are they different or the same for your child(ren)?

Always stress free xo,

Mari