Setting House Rules for your Toddler

Throughout our lives, we are always learning if life is to be interesting and worth living. The beginning of education does not begin in a classroom but at home so ask yourself,  “Do I have rules and boundaries at home? These rules and boundaries are necessary for training from the time your child is a toddler.

Why should we enforce discipline i.e. have boundaries in the home?

Why are boundaries important? These help our children to know the behaviour expected of them and they begin to understand that in life they will need to recognise boundaries (read rules of expected behaviour) around them. The most important quality a parent should have, to teach in my view, is consistency!

What is being consistent?

The Rule ‘No! You cannot do that’ applied yesterday, applies today and will apply tomorrow. Lack of being consistent only leads to confusing the child. So in turn they start playing games with you if only to see whether the same rule will apply today or the rule is in force right this minute since it’s always changing!

Before they grow up to become independent and make choices about which rules they will/will not obey, you will have given them rules to live by. Why, In every situation in life there will always be an authority to enforce rules set whether it’s at school or in the work place, and that is why the training at home is so important.

So, who enforces your rules when you’re not at home?

Have you trained and empowered the nanny to do so. If you feel you cannot trust her to enforce your discipline then I think you need to change her and relook at how you select your nannies.The most precious commodity we have in the house is not the material items we have bought but the child we are bringing up. Most importantly, you setting a good example of a person who follows rules in life – a discussion for another day!