RULES: HOW TO LIVE WITH THEM

No one escapes having to live with rules. Even kings, presidents, and religious leaders have rules. No one is immune. We are subject to rules in school, at home, on the job, in traffic, and during leisure. Rules provide protection and establish boundaries for behavior. Some families have strict rules; others have no rules.

While many rules in the world do not go away, as a teen, many rules change. Think about it. As a child, you did not get to choose your bedtime or what you wore to school. Now you have some choices about these issues.

Sometimes, parents are willing to negotiate on some rules. They may ask you to do something in return for changing the rules. This negotiation takes good communication skills. It also takes honesty and trust. If you earn your parents' trust, they will probably change some of the rules. Some rules may not be up for negotiation. That can make a teen angry, which usually makes the parent even stricter.

Sometimes getting counseling together can help improve the communication among teens and their parents. One thing is for sure. Rules will always be there in some form. We all have to live with them, so it helps to learn the skills to cope with rules.

Here are some basic rules:

Everyone has the right to have a pleasant place to live, so you must remember to pick up after yourself in areas that you share, and do not play music so loud it bothers others.
Everyone has a right to have private space, such as a room or an area within a room. This space can be messy as long as it does not cross the line of reasoning.
Parents have a right to worry about their children and a responsibility to keep them safe. Honor your curfew, wear your seat belt, and observe other rules parents have to keep you safe.
Everyone has to help with the housework.
Schoolwork is a priority, and you should give it your best effort.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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