ong>Answer:

Key points

Family rules help everyone in your family get along better.

Good family rules are positive, specific and easy to understand.

Make rules about things like physical behaviour, safety, manners, routines and respect.

Rules will probably need to change as children get older and your family situation changes.Family rules: why they’re IMPORTANT

Family rules are positive statements about how your family wants to look after and treat its members. Rules help:

children and teenagers learn what behaviour is and isn’t OK in your family

adults be consistent in the way they behave towards children and teenagers.

Rules can help everyone in your family get along better. They make family life more positive and peaceful.

What do good family rules look like?

Good family rules guide children’s behaviour in a positive way. They:

say exactly what behaviour you expect – for example, ‘We say “PLEASE” when we ask for something’

are easy for children to understand – for example, ‘USE a quiet voice inside the house’

TELL children what to do, rather than what not to do – for example, ‘Put your clothes away’ rather than ‘Don’t be messy’.

Rules that tell your children what not to do are OK sometimes. They’re best when it’s difficult to explain what to do instead – for example, ‘Don’t ask for things in the supermarket’ or ‘Don’t get in a car with a driver who has been drinking’.

A short list of positive family rules is better than a long one, especially for younger children.

Every family’s rules will be different. Your family rules will be INFLUENCED by your beliefs and values, your situation and your child’s maturity and needs.

Some rules might apply to the whole family, whereas others might apply just to younger children or to teenagers. As children get older and more mature, the rules can ‘grow’ along with them.

Explanation: