What kinds of rules do you have in your home? Every home has rules of personal behavior and things of that nature, but what about specific rules regarding how your home, furnishings, and particular spaces can be used?
My husband and I always want our children to feel relaxed at home, but we finally had to set down some basic ground rules. One example is that the children are not allowed to eat in the living room. We were pretty flexible on this issue before, but kids tend to get a little careless, so we had to end it. We’re not completely rigid, and we do allow the kids to have popcorn while watching a movie if they sit on an old sheet. Then, we just shake it out over the trash or outside when the movie is over. It beats having food on the living room carpet!
Some families also have rules about putting feet on furniture. I understand not allowing dirty feet or shoes, but I for one am not offended by someone sitting crossed legged in a chair or putting his or feet up on the couch. Of course, my furniture is fairly casual, having four children. I don’t want my living room to feel like a parlour.
What about having rooms that are off limits? We don’t really have an issue with this in our home, unless other children are visiting. Then, our master bedroom is off limits unless an adult is present. I have my work computer and important papers in there, and we store our digital camera, video camera, and other fragile equipment such as my husband’s spare computer parts in our closet, so it just seems like a good idea to avoid mishaps.
Do you have any rules like these or different helpful ideas that you would like to share?