On the 10 things to tell you podcast, one of the topics Laura chatted about was family rules. We all have family rules-- you know those spoken and unspoken rules that govern our behaviour and mold our little humans into the people we pray they turn out to be...
The podcaster also mentioned the family rules of our parents that have molded us, for better or worse, into the people we have become and have really influenced our behaviours. This really got me to thinking about my parents and our values growing up. My parents have always been very hard workers and very goal oriented people. They taught us that you work hard, help each other out, eat healthily, focus on your family (we had quite the large extended family in Trinidad) and exercise often. So many of these things have influenced me and I still see it when my parents and my in-laws come to visit us. They are always doing things to make our life easier like doing fun outings with our girls, taking them to their activities and doing pick up and drop off from school. My dad shovels our driveway, takes down our Christmas lights and rakes our leaves. My mom always preps meals for future use or does laundry so I won't have to. They always make time to exercise wherever they are and because of that so do my brothers and I.
So after thinking about it, the main two tenets that I think rules our family is to
Be respectful and work hard towards your goals.
Respect is something that we're seeing less and less these days and I really want my kids to be respectful- to each other, to us, family, teachers and friends. This extends even to their possessions and the planet we live in. And there's this working hard thing- yes learning should be fun either in school or an after school activity but phoning it in really isn't an option. Things are expensive, time is precious and other people are helping you as well.
After consulting the real experts (my kids LOL), and culling it way back, here are what we've come up with as 10 of our family rules.
1- Pull your weight. I have a problem with the mothers or parents doing everything. Everyone is responsible for specific chores and keeping their spaces clean. Also, offer to help if you see someone else doing something
2- Do good. Yes we pray both together and as a family but we also do. Actions speak so much louder than words. Prayer is very important but so are your actions. Don't lie, cheat or steal.
3- No screen-time on weekdays. Except for Little House and the Prairie that we watch as a family.
This is getting harder now with homework being online and online learning apps but we are still chugging along now. My kids read, play, colour, do puzzles, play and fight together, sing or dance instead.
4- No shoes in the house-- especially on the carpet. In this wintery weather, ain't nobody have time to wash carpets.
5- A place for everything and everything in its place.... something D always repeats to them. Another one of his goodies: On the floor, out the door.
6- Limit the sugary drinks-- we don't do pop here and really limit the juice intake-- even the adult juice ;-). We also try our best to have a wide variety of fruits and veggies every.single.day.
7- Build each other up, don't break each other down. We got this from A's teacher and we've adopted it as our own. Either to their faces or behind their backs. Words can really hurt.
8- Move on. Be resilient and don't hold a grudge for long. It's so much easier to talk about it, move on and it is so much better for our peace of mind.
9- Have an attitude of gratitude- for what we get and what we have. Be content!
But above all kids:
10- Be respectful and work towards your goals!
What are some of your family rules? What rules did you have whilst growing up that influences you now?
Happy Friday, lovelies!!
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I love that you came up with family rules. It's so important to have everyone on the same page. We also have no shoes in the house. Sierra Beautifully Candid
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome that you came up with this list as a family. Now I'm curious to see what my family would say when asked what our family rules would include. :)
ReplyDeleteI did this one time when the boys were in grade school! And hung it in our hallway. Such a great idea and you are such a beautiful family!
ReplyDeleteOh man, I love this- especially getting a glimpse into what you use as I love the way you parent.
ReplyDeleteLove that podcast and I might do this one as a post too! I will have to ask my kids what they think our rules are. I'm not sure we have enough!
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