"House" Rules

DH and I realized that we need have a little more structure with the boys (ages 5 and 7) now they are older. So, just wondering what kind of rules other parents enforce as it relates to school, behavior and chores.

We have a few rules like (some enforced more than others):
~ No video games during the week
~ No food in their rooms
~ Brushing teeth before going downstairs
~ No TV in morning unless they are fully clothed with shoes and socks on
~ Lose 30 mins of TV or DS time if they misbehave after a warning
~ Bringing down dirty clothes to laundry room every Sat morning


What are your "house" rules?

Re: "House" Rules

i have found that since i started to enforce rules like that things have been running so much smoother in my home. some of the rules i have are

~no eating in bedroom
~homework must be started right after school
~tv time must be earned with good behavior
~no tv on at bedtime
~early bedtime for misbehavior
~set the table, clear the table
~help with laundry, dishes & other cleaning

children NEED rules and routine.. they actually crave it.

Re: "House" Rules

My girls are 9 and almost 7

-No TV/screen time Mon-Thurs

-bring your won plates/dishes from table to kitchen after eating

-anything you can do yourself DO IT yourself!

-Sat and/or Sun mornings certain things (homework, a couple of small chores) have to be done before screen time

Re: "House" Rules

My DS is 5, rules are:

Clear spot at table after meal.

Throw away garbage.

Dirty clothes go in the hamper.

No TV in the mornings before school.

Brush teeth after breakfast and before bed.

Put toys away before bus comes and then
again before bed.

If he can't share a toy with his sister, it's mine for the rest of the day.

Shoes go on the "shoe mat" when we get home and inside the house. Coat in closet.

Homework gets done after we pick DD up at pre-k.

Re: "House" Rules

Homework right after school
No TV before school
If you have 2 toys out, out 1 away before you take out something new.
Bedtime is 8pm on school nights and 8:40pm on the weekend.

Thats about it, DS has it easy.

Re: "House" Rules

Ours are LOOONG and complex. LOL

1. You eat only at the table or at the peninsula.

2. Dinner is a meal taken as a family. No exceptions.

3. No TV or electronics during meal times.

4. After school you must do 30 minutes of physical activity and 30 minutes of educational activity (we decide what's acceptable) and your chores must be done before you can think of playing games or watching tv or going on the computer.

5. Weekends require a minimum of 1 hour of physical play/activity and 1 hour of educational play/activity in the morning.. and another 1 hour of each in the afternoon. Family bike rides, hikes, etc.. do count toward the requirement. Chores must be completed before they can even THINK of tv or video games.

6. They make their own breakfast and pack their own lunch on school days and it can't be garbage.

7. Brush teeth after every meal when they are home.

8. Take pills or vitamins as scheduled.

9. No cursing, hitting, playing rough at the top of the stairs, biting, pulling hair.

10. Showers on Sunday evenings or Monday mornings are a must. They must also shower on Wednesday and Friday. They can shower any other time in between if they want.. but 3x a week minimum.

11. Write in your private gratitude journal 1x per day. You can share if you want to.

12. TV and video games are only for the living room, office or playroom. Bedrooms are for books and sleeping, workout room is for exercise.

13. No video games after 7:30 on school nights. No video games after 8:30 on non-school nights.

14. When we say "Games Off" we mean it... no questions, no excuses. We give a 10 minute warning and that's IT.

15. Bedtime is when we decide it's time. It's usually around 9 on school nights and 10 on non-school nights. Either way - if we say it's time for bed.. that's it.

Punishments are usually
1. warning
2. time out
3. write punishment (50x "I will not.. ")
4. Elimination of privilege for 1 day
5. Elimination of privilege PERIOD. If they get to this stage they have to EARN back the right to play games or watch tv or whatever.

Exception is missing homework or failing grade on something (because they didn't study or do it) or other misbehavior at school that results in the school calling me or writing me. That skips right to Elimination of privilege for a day for 1st offense.

As to chores.. they rake leaves, clean the playroom weekly, vacuum carpeted areas (including stairs), wipe down faucets, sweep floors, clean counters, load dishwasher, unload and put away dishes, help prep dinner, pull weeds, move firewood, dust, change garbage in office and bathrooms and a few other things I can;'t think of. They also always put dirty clothes in the hamper and fold their own clothes when they are cleaned.. but it's more of a daily thing so we don't consider it a chore. Same with cleaning up their space after meals.

I know.. I'm a mean mom. This honestly doesn't really cover all of the house rules.. but it's a pretty good overview. I know it seems like a lot.. but they still have plenty of time to play and hang out with friends and get in all sorts of trouble and play video games. Once they complete the things they MUST do, I give them the freedom to do whatever they WANT to do (within reason) - so they are fine with it.

Message edited 11/10/2012 10:56:30 AM.

Re: "House" Rules

I am pretty lax!!!

Cai is 5. He must do HW before he watches TV. But we allow him TV and video games before school since he wakes up so early, and in the evenings. He goes to swim 2 nights a week, stays late at SCOPE, and we hike and are active on weekends so I am OK with him being a little couch potatoey when he is home.

If he trips or steps on a toy, that means it isn't where it belongs, so he must put it away.

He helps feed the dog, but it's not a rule. He enjoys it so I have him do it.

He must eat all of his meal or else there are no snacks or dessert. Dinner is never done as a family since we are never home as a family, so the TV is on when he eats.

Other than that, we are pretty much standard: Speak politely, follow directions, clean up when you are done playing, no arguing at bedtime. Bedtime is either 1-2 chapters of Magic Treehouse or 2 picture books.

He is a really easy going kid though. We had to be tougher when he was younger because he was a little bit of a behavior problem, but now that he has matured he is very easy!!!! We can be as little more lax now. I stopped needing a sticker chart when he was 3. Time outs ended when he was 2.


eta - Jeannie.... You are NOT a mean mom!!! I think your list is really impressive!!!! I feel so lazy reading that - your bots do WAAAYYY more than I do.... Let alone Cailen!!!! I hope when he gets older my list looks a little more like yours when it comes to chores!!!

Message edited 11/18/2012 4:54:30 PM.