All families need house rules to make living under one roof bearable and as pleasant as possible for everyone. Although perfect harmony all the time isn't likely, according to the Dr. Spock website, setting a few rules and enforcing them can eliminate some unnecessary contention. New York Life recommends having a discussion to express your expectations and to answer questions.
Respect Others
Establish rules about respecting others in the house. When someone is sleeping or studying, he is not to be interrupted by loud talking, television or music. Everyone should pick up his own clothes, towels and other personal items. Nothing should be borrowed without the permission of the person the item belongs to. Mutual respect is based on good manners, which should be used in and out of the house.
Participate in Chores
Set a rule about responsibilities in maintaining the household. Each person should keep her own space neat and clean. Communal areas such as the kitchen, living room or bathrooms need a schedule for cleaning. Everyone who is in the family should have a turn to do the household chores, and she should be held responsible with consequences for not following through. Each person should do her own laundry, clean the kitchen after cooking and remove toiletries from shared bathroom areas.
Accountability
Everyone who loves under the same roof should have personal accountability. This means that if someone can't be home for dinner at the regular time, he should call and let someone know. Before leaving for an overnight trip or sleepover, there should be communication to prevent the rest of the family from worrying. Before bringing someone home for a meal or sleepover, he should clear it with the family to make sure it doesn't interfere with other plans. Each person should report an expected time of return to someone else in the family.
Financial
Every older child who is not in school should have some financial responsibility. After high school graduation, the children who are not actively taking classes should participate in paying bills. Set a limit for how long an older child can remain in the house before paying rent. After all, over the age of 18, she is considered an adult, and with the privileges should come the responsibilities. Allowing older children to stay home for a short period of time without paying rent is fine, but letting the situation continue indefinitely will create a dependency that may be difficult to break later. If the child incurs debt, rather than bail her out, assist her with budgeting and restructuring payments to improve her financial situation. Otherwise, she may never learn to balance her personal finances, and she'll keep having the same problems throughout life.
Member Comments