How to Teach a Toddler to Follow Rules

Create a short list of rules for your toddler to follow. Bogging your child down with an endless list of rules sets you and her up for failure. Instead, choose a few safety rules to start with and slowly add rules over time, suggests Mayo Clinic. For instance, you can include ̶0;Pick up toys before bedtime,̶1; ̶0;Use friendly hands̶1; and ̶0;Use kind words̶1; for your toddler̵7;s rule list and grow from there.

State the rules in simple, clear and easy-to-understand terms. A toddler doesn̵7;t have the cognitive ability to understand complex instructions. Stick to short phrasing instead.

Use positive opposites. Instead of always saying ̶0;No,̶1; rephrase it and state the desired behavior in a positive way. For instance, ̶0;Please use your words to ask for the pretzel̶1; is better than ̶0;No, don̵7;t grab.̶1;

Offer choices as much as possible. This cuts down on power struggles and fosters a sense of confidence and self-worth.

Create a daily schedule. This provides structure and boundaries. Write it down and post it somewhere your child can see. Use pictures on the chart, if you can. Even if she can̵7;t read it, she knows it̵7;s there. When you̵7;re first starting this daily regimen, reference it often. Go over to the schedule and say ̶0;It̵7;s 6:30. That means it̵7;s time for your bath.̶1; The more you follow a regular routine, the more your toddler will know what to expect from the day.

Dish out the praise when your toddler follows the rules -- or at least tries. This offers positive reinforcement and increases the chances of him trying to follow the rules in the future. Stickers also work well to motivate a child at this age.

Enforce some consequences if your toddler refuses to follow the rules. You can approach this a few different ways. You can let natural consequences play out and provide the lesson without any intervention. If she screams at the top of her lungs because she wants a cookie before dinner, her throat will hurt. Enforce logical consequences when appropriate. If your child refuses to clean up her toys, you can revoke her privilege of playing with them for the rest of the day. You can also give her a timeout if she continues to break the rules, is demonstrating unsafe behaviors or needs time to calm down. One minute for every year of age in a safe, boring spot of the house is sufficient. Offer one warning for breaking a rule and enforce the consequence every time. You must be consistent; otherwise, the consequences are ineffective.

Set a good example. You need to follow the rules, too. You can̵7;t expect your little one to demonstrate a certain behavior if you don̵7;t do the same.