Whether spoken or unspoken, everyone lives by a set of rules.

I’ve found that when running a large family, it helps to have those rules spelled out and posted for everyone to see.

We have a cork board in our dining room (where we spend a lot of time). Our house rules are posted there for everyone to see and be reminded of frequently.

All of the children know all of our house rules and we repeat them regularly.

Each of the rules also has a specific consequence for when they are broken. The consequence is directly related to the rule. For example, if you break rule number one (eat at the table), then you have to clean off the table at the next meal all by yourself.

I think the trick with having rules, is having a consequence that is related to breaking the rule, that you are willing and able to enforce. Because if you don’t enforce the consequence (and if the consequence has nothing to do with the broken rule), nobody is going to follow the rule. At least that’s how it works at our house.

So what are the Jonas Family house rules? Check them out:

For those of you who don’t watch videos, they are:

1. Eat at the table
2. Sit on the couches
3. No running, hiding, or wrestling
4. Mind your own business
5. Keep your hands to yourself
6. Touch it once
7. Love

We’ve worked up to 7 house rules over many years. If you’re just starting out implementing house rules, I would start with just one at a time, and no more than three. You can add more rules as you start to gain control over the existing rules.

If you’d like to check out our video bloopers, have fun:

I’d love to hear some of everyone else’s house rules!