8 tips to set rules for your children:

8 tips to set rules for your children:
With the nice weather settling in, I’m writing a blog post about how to set rules for our children to follow and why it’s important to do so. Setting rules isn’t just essential for parents; it’s vital for children, too. It gives them security because they know what to expect.
- Start small:
Start by introducing a minimum number of rules. With a few rules, your child will have less difficulty memorizing and applying them.
For example, you could say
– Give me your hand when you cross the street.
Share your toys with your sister.
Children understand as young as 2 years old; you just have to say it simply with words they can understand.
- Stay consistent:
I know that for my part, this has been a bit messy, but consistency is essential. The trick is to take a pen and paper and write down the rules you’d like to repeat to your child. If you forget or change the rules according to your mood, it won’t work; your child will be more mixed up.
- Discuss with the other parent:
It’s essential to start here early, too. If, for example, you’ve hidden candies and chocolates but the other parent gives in every time your little one wants to eat them, you’ll see that by the age of 3-4, he’ll know which parent is more inclined to give it to him.
- Don’t be too strict:
If you say no all the time, your child will feel restricted. The goal here is not to make him perfect; he’s still a child who’s learning.
- Encourage/ praise him:
Show him that you’re proud of him when he listens, and give him positive feedback. Why should you do this? What could be better than encouraging him when he listens and follows the rules of good behaviour? That will not only boost his self-esteem but also enable him to continue.
- Don’t lose your patience/ Don’t shout:
Nobody’s perfect, and parents aren’t either. You won’t always be in good shape and may sometimes feel discouraged or at your wits’ end. This is normal, but what’s not normal is losing patience or shouting at your little one. It’s a proven fact that children respect rules better when they feel loved and safe. Don’t use fear, threats or shouting to gain respect. The purpose of regulations is to put you in his shoes, too. Have compassion for him.
- Have fun:
One of the best ways for a child to listen to his parent is when he’s in a good mood. Unfortunately, when a child is in crisis, it’s not a good time to set rules. You create that moment of connection with them by going to the park, going on outings, or playing with your little one. A child in a good mood is more likely to listen, especially when his parent gives him attention.
- Be the example:
Recently, I found a ruler on the ground, which had been there for a while, in the street (a simple plastic ruler). I picked it up in front of my 4-year-old. Do you know what he said to me? He said, “Mommy, why are you picking that thing up off the ground? You always told me you shouldn’t pick up things you find on the ground because they’re dirty”. I simply said: “Yes, sweetheart, you’re right” and put the ruler down where I found it. Children observe us, and when we give them rules, it’s only natural to want to set an example and do what we tell them.