There are two ways to read today's blog title...
FAMILY RULES! YEAH! OUR FAMILY TOTALLY ROCKS! WE RULE! OTHERS DROOL!!
or
Family Rules: A form and function or set of standards for performing, growing, learning and surviving within a unit comprised of other individuals that you were either born into, you married or you made.
Really they both apply to my discussion today (or should this be called a rambling? hehe) Of all the beautiful families we are lucky enough to know with our own sets of joys, triumph, elation, sadness, turmoil and stress we all can say WE RULE! We all have reason to be proud of the life we have built for ourselves and our children.
More than likely the reason this is so is because we have laid a foundation of expectation in our children from right and wrong. Family rules define what is and isn't allowed in your family. They apply to everybody.
Defining your family rules can be helpful, especially if you're having disciplinary problems. But not required. Some families don't see the use in conforming to rules or guidelines. But, if done right, the use of a family value statement can cover the territory. Similar to a company's mission statement, your family values statement is a written set of beliefs and behavior guidelines that everyone in your family agrees to live by. If a behavior doesn't fit into your family's value statement, it is against the rules, and that's that. Other families rely on clearly defined family rules laid out like 1. Don't Lie, 2. Don't Cheat, 3.... you get the drift. It's a matter of your family's approach to life.
In our family I made a clearly defined family value statement called Family Rules...
After I came up with the wording and addressed the "issues" we have within our family unit (that if each one of us was personally responsible for carrying out on their own would free up a lot of time Mom and Dad spend refereeing, reminding and regulating such a simple set of daily exercises for living) I went through them with the children. I used examples like what it means to be polite or how to use "big words" instead of small ones when you are angry or aren't sure how to express your feelings. I reminded the kids that if these were things we could carry out and remember on our own it would create a happy place for all of us to live. You'll notice I also added some fun things in there too because life is un-fun enough all on it's own! And it's so much easier to get what you are looking for by making it seem enticing or exciting to the individual you are looking to get something from!!
Of course this doesn't cover all the bases and may not apply entirely to your family but it's a start. I'm going to have it printed up on a large wrapped canvas and hang it on the wall right next to the front door. You can download it and print it out anyway you like. Put it in a standard 8x10 frame, a large canvas like me, or simply print a quick copy and add it to your family's bulletin board like this:
I loved doing this and appreciate your comment love to let me know you're there...
Tootles, TJ
