Family rules poster

A few clear rules, said positively and made together. Keep the ones that fit your family, cross out the rest and add your own.

Our family rules

Signed by everyone:

Make the rules together at a calm time, not right after a blowup.
Keep 3 to 5 rules. Cross out any that don’t fit and write your own on the blank lines.
Say what to do, not only what not to do: “gentle hands” instead of “don’t hit”.
Hang it where everyone can see it. Grown-ups follow the rules too.
Notice and name it when your child follows a rule: “You put the blocks back in the box!”
When a rule is broken, give one calm reminder, then follow through with the consequence you agreed on.
Look at the poster together every few weeks and change what isn’t working.

Aim for family rules that are few, said positively, made together and followed through.

Keep it short. Choose the 3 to 5 rules that matter most to your family. Cross out the ones on the poster that don’t fit and write your own on the blank lines.
Say what to do. “Gentle hands” tells a child what to do. “Don’t hit” only says what to stop.
Make them together. Talk about the rules at a calm time and let your child suggest the wording. Everyone signs, grown-ups too.
Follow through. Notice and name it when your child follows a rule. When a rule is broken, give one calm reminder, then follow through with the consequence you agreed on, every time.