Reasons for all the rules

WHEN you are younger you can feel like all the rules around you are unfair. You may also feel like you don’t get much say in things. Doing whatever you want seems like a great idea.

You might wonder, what is the point of all these boring rules? Usually rules help us with two things: learning and staying safe.

Without rules, you would have a lot of decisions to make every day. Being in charge of a lot of decisions can sometimes be quite stressful. This is why it’s important to allow kids to make some decisions – but not all of them.

I also mentioned safety. While I am sure that you are very smart, there are things you don’t know about the world yet – things that you will learn from now until you are a grown-up, like how to drive a car, who to trust and how to spend your money wisely.

Until you know all these things, the rules are there to keep you safe. The rules make sure people always know where you are, that you won’t get hurt and that you get what you need to be happy and healthy.

You may not know this yet, but the rules will also change as you get older. Think about the differences between now and when you were a toddler.

At six, you probably are allowed to watch more TV and do different things and have a lot more of your own friends. This is because it is important to encourage children to take on more decisions as they get older. Think of it like a ladder. You might not be at the top right now, but each new thing you learn takes you a step closer and means your parents can relax the rules a little.

Finally, I should say that the rules don’t go away completely even when you are a grown-up. Grown-ups still have to work, pay bills and follow the rules. Even we can’t do whatever we want! – The Conversation