Establish Rules and Set Limits-The Ten Commandments

“The most important thing that children need from their parents is love, but a close second is structure. One of the main ways you create structure in your child’s life is by having expectations for proper behavior as well as constraints on how much freedom you child is granted (Steinberg, pg. 87)”. I love this because so many times we hear kids complaining about the rules their parents have placed on them, but rules and limits are only done out of love. Parents do have to understand that rules or limits are sometimes temporary because a child ages and they don’t need the same restrictions as before. Our parenting has to change as the child begins to change. Also, some children will need more limitations and rules then another. As we set those limits and rules we need to discuss them with the child so that they can understand and know the exact limitation. When we do this we are showing our love and desire to help our children. Heavenly Father gave us commandments because he loves us. He wants to be happy and we will show our love back to Heavenly Father when we observe and keep the commandments he has given. Each of us has been given the commandments and when we obey we are blessed and when we don’t obey we are given a consequence. I really love the scripture in Mosiah 2:41, “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it”.  As we teach our children why there are rules and limits we will also help them to understand that true happiness comes when we are obedient to each of them.