A rule is a rule! Well, not exactly. Not all rules are the same. Different folks have different rules. There are different rules for different situations. Talk with your child about “house rules” that are different from house to house.

What are the rules at Grandma’s house? What are the rules at school? How are they alike or different from those at your house?

What about any differences between you and another parent, including a stepparent, if that applies?  How about differences at an aunt’s house or an elderly neighbor’s house?

Talk about what that is like for your child to have different house rules to manage. Talk about why it is important that she be able to follow different rules in different situations. Use examples of when you have to follow different rules, even though you are all grown up.