house rules

[AshleyS.03]

What are your house rules for your children? I'm not talking about chores or any jobs they have to do but what rules do you have that you enforce. Like no hitting of course, no biting. How do you display your rules for your kids to see if they can't read? I have a five year that is starting to read and a 3 year old that doesn't read and won't anytime soon.

So far ours are:
no hitting
no screaming

honestly that is all I can think of. I know there are more that when people say them the lightbulb will go off but for now I can't think. I just need to put them up for the kids to be able to see them and really start re-enforcing them. We were just on a 5 week long vacation to MO and my kids attitudes and manners have gone done the drain, slowly but surely they are coming back

[desertshi]

No running.
Lift toilet seat when using it
put toilet seat down when finished
put clothes in the dirty laundry
no jumping on beds
no standing on couches
no slamming doors
knock on closed doors and wait for answer

I'm sure there are more but.....I can't think of them right now! lol. Mommy brain!

Oh yah, and for kids who can't read you could get drawings off the internet. And write NO (picture) NO (picture) just crude drawings would even work. Like drawing a bed and a stick figure on top. lol. They should understand that if you explain in to them first! GL!

[er517]

We have a list of rules on the closet door in a hallway. The kids can't read, but everyone knows what's on it - I only have to refer to the paper.

Ours are:
* Be nice to each other - NO hitting, kicking, or name calling
* Please do as you are told
* No sassing
* Say "Please" and "Thank You"
* Help clean up messes

[blackbirdmama*3]

Originally Posted by desertshi No running. Lift toilet seat when using it put toilet seat down when finished put clothes in the dirty laundry no jumping on beds no standing on couches no slamming doors knock on closed doors and wait for answer I'm sure there are more but.....I can't think of them right now! lol. Mommy brain! Oh yah, and for kids who can't read you could get drawings off the internet. And write NO (picture) NO (picture) just crude drawings would even work. Like drawing a bed and a stick figure on top. lol. They should understand that if you explain in to them first! GL!

All of these and no food or drink except at the dining room table. My house is tiny so it's not very far if they need a drink. We worked on a few at a time while they were younger and when they had those down went on to something else. Like starting out with the toilet thing and then when they got that we would work on dirty clothes in the hamper. Other things like jumping on furniture we corrected immediately and they would get a time out if they continued or repeated. We also have a toy rule that the kids each have toys special to them and they have to allow the other to play with it. Then we have a free for all toy box. It has helped teach them boundaries and respecting others property and wishes I think and the child feels special that they have something that is only theirs.

[AshleyS.03]

See I new there were more that I couldn't think of. The jumping on furniture thing is a HUGE problem right now and I am not sure why. Thanks ladies.

[smashncakes]

We don't post our house rules...I actually don't know anybody that does? Ours are pretty basic...use your manners, be nice to others (includes no screaming, hitting, or biting and sharing toys), no jumping on the furniture, help clean up (includes laundry in the hamper, plates in the sink, toys put away). A new one we recently added for DS was no jumping off the furniture...he likes to stand on the arms of the couch and jump off to the floor Oh, and everybody that comes to our house is asked to watch their language, take their shoes off at the door, no alcohol or smoking in the house, and to throw their trash away...drives me nuts when we have family over and I spend 20 minutes after they leave picking up their soda cans & bottles and random trash all over the house because they couldn't walk them to the trash/recycling cans.

[rosefall]

We don't post rules, but a rule we've found needs enforced in our house right now is crayons, pens, etc., are for paper.

[ktmelody]

We have no rules, we live in a zoo....



























J/k

The standard....
No screaming, whining, hitting, biting, trash in the trash, dishes in the sink, pick up your toys when done, bedtimes, cursing, name calling, please/thank you etc. And of course like most, these rules do get broken, most on a daily basis. But alas, we try.

[mommy2abigail]

Ours are pretty simple, because all of the important things fall under these few guidelines.

*Honor and obey God.
*Be kind and respectful to people, animals, and things.

Rather than teaching a long list of 'rules' to memorize, we want to teach our kids to line their thinking up with the principles found in the bible. So, for example, if you knock over your drink, it is unkind to leave it for someone else to pick up for you. Obviously, how we treat each other falls under these simple guidelines too.

These guidelines are for all of us, adults included, to follow. The kids are free to remind us of the 'rules' and we are accountable to them to adhere to them, just like they are accountable to us.
We expect everyone who comes to our home to at least follow the second one. That would include not smoking in our home (not respectful of the health of our family), not using foul language (not respectful), not hurting others (including hitting children), ect.

[OneFishTwoFish]

We don't post but we do repeat! One of DSs favorites to remind us of is "No shoes on the bed!" He will lay on our bed with his feet dangling off yelling, "No shoes on the bed!" until I come in and take them off so that he can lay and read or play or whatever.