Family Rules to Live By: Examples and Tips

No matter what home means to you, it’s a safe space for one to learn, grow and build a sense of community. Home is also where we gather as a family and share special moments, laughter, support and ideas on how to create fun memories together as a family.

It’s easier to create those fun memories if you lay out the groundwork for “Family Rules.” We’ve found the best examples and tips for creating family rules to help you.

What Are Family Rules?

Family rules are how we learn how to treat each other and set the foundations for how we should treat ourselves. We also learn how to communicate and collaborate, how to build positive routines and how to support one another.

Examples of family rules are: Never go to bed angry; always say, “I love you;” brush your teeth before bedtime and more. Think about what values mean the most to you and your family.

How to Make Your Family Rules

Introducing family rules can be as simple as writing them down in a visible location or can be enforced with incentives, such as a movie night or pizza party. No matter how you decide to implement your family rules, they will be a valuable addition to your home.

  1. Identify the values of your family: What are some specific behaviors you believe are the most valuable? These rules should be easy to follow, especially considering the age of your child.
  2. Explain the rules: Double check that your family understands these rules by reading them out loud and having your children explain them in their own words. This can be an opportunity to show your family the importance of following a positive plan.
  3. Follow the rules: Young people learn what is expected of them and how to behave by what they see around them. The rules you set should be implemented by the entire family.

The best way to really implement your family rules is by finding a very visible way of sharing them. This canvas print is a great example of creating a space for family rules to coincide with special moments you share as a family.

The combination of recognizable family moments with actionable affirmations serves as a daily reminder of how to treat each other.

Using this template, you can customize your print with your favorite family photos and even family quotes.

Simple is always best! Here are a few simple family rules that are featured in this customizable canvas print:

  1. Do your best: With everything you do, give it your all.
  2. Be patient and kind: Patience and kindness are lifelong lessons that make this world a better place to live in.
  3. Help others: Treating others the way you want to be treated is a cornerstone for how to make a real impact in this world.
  4. Believe in yourself: Cultivating your own personal self-respect and self-love is an important value. The more you believe in yourself, the more you are capable of.
  5. Laugh often: Life is just better with a little laughter. Some say it’s the best medicine.
  6. Love one another: The golden rule!
  7. Never give up: The moment when it feels too challenging to continue is the moment you meet your true strength.
  8. Enjoy the journey: Remembering to focus on your present moment, while knowing that you have everything you need right in front of you.

Family Rules in a Marriage

Little reminders go a long way, especially in a marriage. This canvas print allows you to display some of your favorite memories together, with added affirmations that create a statement piece within your space. Display the day that changed your lives forever by sharing some words of affirmation that also serve as a daily reminder of the promises you made to each other.

Promising forever is a simple, yet powerful statement and finding ways to express this kind of love is a valuable exercise. This canvas print allows you the opportunity to really celebrate the memories you have created with your significant other.

  1. Best friends: The beautiful part of a relationship is that first and foremost, you are each other’s’ best friend.
  2. Forever: When you promised forever, you meant it.
  3. Soulmates: If each soul had one mate, you have already found it.
  4. True love: You know a true love when you find it, it’s a feeling you could never forget.
  5. Happily ever after: You get to spend the rest of your life with your best friend!
  6. Cherish: Every day is a new chance to cherish, appreciate and respect one another.
  7. Fun: Above all else, life is more fun getting to live this life together.

No matter what kind of love you’re celebrating, there’s a print for that. Visualization is an extremely powerful tool for learning new things, and for the daily reminders of what is most important in this life.

These canvas prints are a beautiful way to turn your favorite memories into works of art that serve as a key visual to respect, appreciate and love one another. And what’s a better gift than that?