Female Forum

Do you have lots of rules in your house? Are there rules about what times to eat, what times the kids have a bath and go to bed?  Do you even have rules over how much television they are allowed to watch? What about homework, are there strict rules about that in your house?

For example are they only allowed to watch television when they’ve done their homework. Do you have rules about the amount of time they are allowed to spend watching television. Do you insist that they make more productive use of their leisure time and make them read instead.

Do you have rules about computer or playstation time. Are they only allowed to play on the playstation at the weekends for example.  Do you have rules about the type of games they are allowed to play?

In my house I try not to be too draconian. For example I will let my daughter sit down for an hour or so and have a drink and something to eat before she does her homework. I think that’s only fair, after all she has been at school all day working hard. But I do insist that any homework is done before she’s allowed on the computer.

I also try and make sure my youngest reads every day. He doesn’t like reading much even though he is good at it and can read perfectly well. Trouble is he doesn’t like the schools books very much. He tends to think they are a bit boring and prefers to choose one of his own books.

I don’t have too many strict rules about meal times. I try and encourage them to eat at the table as much as possible, but it there is something that one of them wants to watch on the telly desperately then I occasionally relent and let them. (sorry mum) . 

I make sure they all put their washing in their various laundry baskets otherwise it doesn’t get washed, but I wouldn’t say I’m strict about it.

Hey ya Souxi,

I think it is important to have some rules in a house because it is a good way of teaching children life lessons for when they leave home. I know that if it was not for the rules my mom had set when I was home (which are very similar to the ones at your house Souxi), then I would have been completely lost when I moved into university halls 3 years ago. I mean of course I let loose for a while but got better and picked up my own routine.

Things like limiting time with the playstation and computer I think is also very important, especially in the world of children today. If I look at my nephew who is 7 years now, he got a second hand playstation 1 at 4 years old. He was only allowed to play games suitable for his age and was stimulating for him. It was also (unfortunately) a way for my sister to think things through as she was going through a difficult marriage at the time, therefore he was spending WAY too much time on the game. And it seemed like he was letting out ‘his’ frustrations on the game. (luckily they are all in a much better situation now after the devorce and my sister spends much more time with him).

Anyway, since she limited the time of playstation with him and the time on the computer now, he seems to be much calmer. Too much game playing results in build up energy. So I think it is good to encourage reading or alternative activities (even if they dont like it, they will appreciate it when they are older) instead of watching tv or playing game.

Anyway, sorry for the long rant. 

Hope the relply is relevant too.

Well although he still plays his ps2 with his new Homer Simpson controller I bought him, he has taken up a new hobby with great enthusiasm: stamp collecting. He really is getting into it in a big way. He went out yesterday with his dad and joined the library and came home with this huge book on stamps. Some of his friends at school have given him old stamps they have which pleased him no end.

It’s given him something else to do apart from the playstation which is important I think. You have to remember that when I was a kid, such things hadn’t been invented. God doesn’t that make me sound like a dinosaur.

And you can rant any time Flutter , we don’t mind in the slightest. We should start up a group called: “Hissy fits R us” where we can sit and rant all day to our hearts content about things that get on our nerves.

Every child needs guidelines in life

I am lucky that my kids all love books, and my eldest isn;t on his computer every chance he gets - he much prefers being outside.

I dont want to be overly strict with them, but simple rules such as ‘no fizzy juice’ ‘no hitting’ ‘no swearing’ etc etc are par for the course.

I don’t want to be a boring mum who nags at them all the time - I prefer to have fun, but they know when not to cross the line. Eldest has to do his homework before he goes out to play. Whether he sits about for a while first is up to him - it’s his time he is eating into.