Family Rules

In my home I have always had only two rules: "Safe" and "Loved." Everyone [and everything] in the house is to feel and be safe. Safe from fear, abuse, neglect, demeaning, mocking, etc. etc. Everyone [and everything in a sense] is to feel and be loved. I figure those two rules are the non-negotiables. They cover the key essentials that I believe every child should have. [See the April 29, 2009 blog entry "My only rule" for more about it.]

Another parent recently sent me to the Duggar family's web site. [Yes, the family with 19 children and a television series.] The Duggar family's rules [as listed on their website] are:

1. Always use soft words, even when you don't feel well

2. Always display kind actions and joyful attitudes, even if you have been mistreated

3. Always use manners and be respectful of others and their belongings

4. Use one toy at a time. Share!

Trying to distill key beliefs of any kind into simple rules is always a challenge. It helps if they are clear and concise. I have worked on many committees charged with the task of forming rules [or "guiding principles" as organizations tend to call them]. Clear is usually a lot easier than concise. Clarity isn't much help if the list of rules is longer than the Constitutional Amendments. Have you made a list of guiding principles or rules for your home? I suppose everyone's reflects their own values and their own styles. I would love to have readers or blog visitors share their family's versions. Anyone game?