Rule #1: Don’t Play With Doors

Why every parent and carer needs rules

Aren’t rules rather old-fashioned?

Not at all , much recent research has been done that rules and boundaries help kids grow, not limits them.

But it’s so hard consistently enforcing them — no one likes a nagger!

Find the most basic rules that fits your values. Keep it short and simple, especially for young children.

We noticed early on what we’re worried about was safety around the house especially when playing with fascinating moving parts like doors.

That’s when Rule Number One was uttered, always in the same tone while distracting the kid to do something else instead: “Rule number 1: don’t play with doors!”

So there must be zillions of rules then?

Not really, we wanted to define The Top 10 rules, but ended up only defining and enforcing another two or three.

Rule #2: Don’t put anything in your mouth that’s not food.

That went well until they’re smart enough to innocently ask about spoons… 😊

Rule #3 was to be about not playing with anything that’s not toys, but this didn’t work well due to “creative play” pressure meant encouraging making something out of junk, music with pans and so on…

What about older kids, surely they need more than play rules?

Indeed, older kids will need more nuanced rules, sometimes dependent on their temperaments as well.

Hopefully by having a clear rules environment in early childhood, you’ll be able to read each other better. When the time comes to set rules in the world of primary and secondary schools, everyone knows their place in the family.