Helping Toddlers Learn Rules

Rules are an important part of our social structure. Kids think that rules are set primarily by parents but as they become school-aged they realize that rules are a necessary part of life. But how and when is the best time to begin setting rules for your child?

Believe it or not, by the time your child reaches their first birthday they can begin to tell the difference between right and wrong. And this is an important milestone that can be used to introduce simple rules into your child’s life.

Here are some suggestions on how to introduce rules to your child:

Be consistent – kids thrive on consistency. Don’t waiver on your rules and apply them on a regular basis.

Concise – keep rules simple and brief. Don’t set complex rules with conditions like “if, then” statements. This just makes the concept of rules more difficult.

As an example: a child understands that coloring on the wall is not acceptable. If you begin to explain that coloring on a wall painted with chalkboard paint is acceptable this may lead to confusion.

Be Specific – provide enough details to make the concept real for your child. Stop and don’t do that are too vague and may lead to confusion.



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