Tag Archives: rules

Do You Follow Your Own Rules?

How often do you violate our own rules and then wonder why our kids have a hard time following the rules you set? As parents, we sometimes have the attitude that we don’t have to follow our own rules. However, when we do, we send the wrong message to our kids. If we take a lackadaisical attitude toward rules, then our kids won’t feel the need to follow these same rules. Sometimes we violate the rules without even thinking about it or we figure our kids aren’t really paying attention but, let’s face it, our kids watch our every move. … Continue reading →

Be Prepared to Repeat Rules

I wrote earlier about how I have been reading a book about raising and training a puppy in preparation for taking on a new household member. There are so many things about this anticipated endeavor that remind me of raising kids! No offense to my kids, of course, but I am seeing a lot of similarities in raising the well-behaved puppy and attempting to raise the well-behaved child (I confess that I anticipate it will go a little more predictably with the dog than it has with my kids). One thing that struck me was the reminder of the need … Continue reading →

Single Parent Families Don’t Have to be Chaotic

There is a myth out there that families headed by single parents are overly-chaotic and full of drama and crisis. Well, I think all families have the potential to be full of drama and chaos, and while the single parent family may be born out of painful chaos–we don’t have to stay in that state. We can let go of all that crisis and chaos and, after moving through transitions, establish a calm, peaceful and stable family life… I think that as single parent families, our capacity for chaos can be expanded. Then, we just get so used to it … Continue reading →

Two Sets of Rules

One of the big complaints and issues for divorced or separated parents, or family situations where there are two houses for a child to go back and forth to—is that there are two sets of rules and this can be confusing for a child. I know that in the early years of my “two-house family” I tried hard to make sure that there was consistency and to minimize the confusion. My kids were much younger and I thought that it would be in their best interest to have at least the rules, bed times, expectations, etc. be uniform in both … Continue reading →

Expect Complaints About Chores and Rules

I think the first reality parents should expect when it comes to setting boundaries and limits, and dishing out the chores is that you should NOT expect your kids to be happy about it. They will complain and balk and generally be disagreeable and you should expect it. That doesn’t mean you need to get all wrapped up in the drama of a push-pull, but you should expect that they are not going to like having rules, regulations, and chores! My mother used to say “I’m not here to win a popularity contest!” and while I don’t say the same … Continue reading →

You Can’t MAKE a Child Sleep

I think if you were to ask parents about what the big “issues” are in their families, bed time and sleeping habits would likely make each parent’s top ten. From the time a child is tiny; parents fuss and work to make the child get to sleep and stay asleep. BUT, in reality, we cannot really MAKE them sleep… I learned the “You can put a child to bed, but you can’t make him sleep” rule when I had my third child. My son was never a sleeper. After having two daughters who slept through the night and took great … Continue reading →

Rules of Scrapbooking

The rules of scrapbooking are in the eye of the beholder. In other words, really there aren’t a lot of set things you must or must not do in order to scrapbook. There is a false assumption among some scrapbookers and non-scrapbookers that there is some form of rules that we all must follow in order to be considered a real scrapbooker. First, let me tell you that it is not true. There is no Order of the Scrapbooker’s who ensures that things are followed. There is not some set of people that will be judging your layouts or visiting … Continue reading →

Knowing the Rules Doesn’t Mean You Have to Follow Every One

I know that people go to college for years and years in order to get their business degrees and learn all the rules and regulations and philosophies regarding how to run a successful business. While some us running our own home businesses might have that education and training, others of us do not. And, it can be somewhat intimidating thinking that there are so many things we do NOT know about business. BUT, learning and knowing all the rules and regulations does not mean that we have to follow and incorporate them all in our little entrepreneurial operations. I do … Continue reading →

Take Advantage When Rules Matter

I have made no secret about the fact that my life is now filled with teenagers and teenagers are not particularly interested in following rules, regulations, or any one else’s expectations. In fact, one of the main jobs of the teenager is to rebel, question, and experiment in order to find his or her own way in the world. BUT, for younger children that is not necessarily the case. There is a wonderful window of time in the early elementary years, when many children are fascinated and consumed by rules and regulations. For parents, this can be a time to … Continue reading →

Rules or Guidelines?

By nature, I have never been someone who was particularly fond of rules. This presented a bit of a challenge for me when I became a parent. While I certainly am not the freewheeling, hip parent I imagined (or promised, rather) I would be when I was 15 or 16—I still am not someone who needs and insists on a lot of hard and fast rules. Just using the word hasn’t come easily. Instead, I have tended to be a parent who leaned toward “guidelines”… Many families are not only comfortable with “House Rules,” but they are also downright good … Continue reading →