Rules at Home

Suggested Activities

This challenge invites students to explore the ways in which family members create a safe and cooperative climate by examining the merits of rules at home. To introduce the activity, read aloud a story that focuses on a young person who breaks rules (e.g., No, David by David Shannon) or create a stick drawing showing children breaking various home rules (e.g., running with sharp objects, pushing others). After discussing the story (or picture), direct the discussion away from the negative (How many rules did the children break?) to a discussion of the value of rules at home. Why do we have rules at home? How do rules help us work and play safely and get along with one another? On a chart use stick drawings, represent three rules that the fictional character(s) needed help with (e.g., close your mouth when chewing your food). Explore the merits of each rule by asking "What is good about this rule? How does the rule help us?" Invite students to volunteer other rules in their homes and discuss the good things about each. Be careful not to encourage students to disclose private or sensitive information about their families. Focus students' attention on those rules that help everyone in the family work together to create a safe environment where people get along with one another. Place a star besides the rules that serve these purposes. Ask students how they might have helped the fictional character(s) in the story or drawing to understand how to behave in a safe and cooperative manner. Ask students to select and illustrate what they consider to be the three best rules in promoting a safe and caring environment in their home and title their drawings "Best rules for a safe and cooperative home." Remind students that rules that are best for one family may not be the ones that another family might choose.