Toddlers can be a handful. Their little minds are always active, and they love to learn and discover new things, but they don’t always know how to act properly or how to stay safe. As a parent, you need to set rules that are appropriate for their age and help them grow into responsible, happy kids.
To ensure your home stays safe and that your little one is learning the right way to act, you should establish some good house rules for toddlers. I’ve put together a list of the rules that will help your little guy or girl stay safe and live comfortably in your home.
10 Great House Rules for Toddlers
Here are my 10 great house rules for toddlers:
1 – Respect Parents and Other Adults
Kids need to learn to respect their parents and other adults at an early age. When you’re establishing these rules, make sure to use them all the time and give clear instructions. To enforce these rules, you may want to give a time-out or a light tap.
2 – No Biting
Let your kid know that biting is not acceptable. Teach them how to treat other people by giving them a lesson on how to respect others. Have them apologize to the person they’ve bitten and make sure they learn that hurting someone is a bad choice.
3 – No Screaming
Keep your voice down at all times. Parents and other adults should talk calmly and quietly at all times. They should make sure to talk to their kids calmly and never raise their voices while training their children to do the same. Yelling (usually) never helps.
4 – No Hitting
No hitting! Teach your child that hitting is never okay. They need to learn to get their point across without hurting other people or animals. Teach them how to feel powerful without resorting to violence.
5 – Brush Your Teeth
Your child should brush their teeth when they wake up and before bed. Make sure they have their own toothbrush, and set up a good tooth-brushing routine. Have healthy snacks just for them, and make sure they have a lot of fun playing with the toothbrush and giving themselves a good cleaning.
6 – Share Well With Others
If your child has a younger sibling, make sure that they are kind and respectful of their sibling. If a toy is being played with by one child, help your child learn how to wait his or her turn, if necessary, and how to give toys back when it’s time to share.
7 – Respect Animals and Always Be Kind
Let your kids know that it’s not okay to hurt animals, chew them, or eat them. Let them play with the animals, and let them see that you have a healthy relationship with your pets. Go for walks together, and help your child see that it’s negative to be abusive to animals.
8 – Take Care of Your Room and Keep it Clean
This is important for everyone, but especially children. Teach your child how to pick up their toys, keep their clothes in their drawers and keep their beds made and tidy. This will help them stay clean and tidy while they’re at home, and it will also help you as a parent.
9 – Follow the Golden Rule
Well, kind of. The Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This rule seems a little complex for toddlers, so try teaching it as, “Be nice to people.” Keep it general and simple, and teach it the right way.
10 – Have Fun and Encourage Learning
Children need to have fun. They also need to learn through play. Make sure they have plenty of time to play freely, as well as time to learn through reading and writing. Teach them how to love learning.
Great House Rules for Toddlers: Closing Thoughts
Hopefully, these house rules have inspired you to teach your child what kind of behavior is expected in your household. I hope that you’re doing a great job at teaching your child the right way – teaching them what they need to know to slowly prepare them for a happy and healthy life.
When you spend the time at this age to teach your children, the lessons they learn will take root and they’ll carry them throughout their lives. Hopefully, that makes all the work worth it. It’s important to remember that kids are naturally selfish and that’s a good thing.
They love to explore and learn, and they love to have fun. It’s up to us, as parents, to help make sure that they’re safe and learning to be good human beings.
Oh, I almost forgot! The featured image of this article. The most important of all the house rules for toddlers? Do NOT let them drive an automobile!
Smile. Good luck, and thanks for reading.
