1. The Ten Rules
For Your Home
Billy Barnett MS, LMHC
This presentation can be viewed at
http://billythecounselor.blogspot.com
My Website: http://barnetttherapyservices.weebly.com

2. Guiding Verse
 Colossians 2:8-10
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and
empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to
the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to
Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells
bodily, and you have been filled in him who is the head of
all rule and authority.

3. Part One:
Our job as parents is to point our children to the
Bible, where they can develop a way to view the world
through the truth that God has revealed.

4. Scenario 1
 Dillon is in seventh grade. He comes home from school and sits in front of the
television. He watches tv while his mother tells him he needs to clean his
room and do his homework. He says, “I will” each time she asks. After two
hours mom gets mad and yells at him. She says, “Why do you do this to me
every day? Do you like making me mad? Don’t you love you mother Dillon?”
 Dillon continues to procrastinate but slowly moves around his room putting a
few things away. He does not want to start his homework because he knows it
will take him an hour to finish.
 Dad comes home at 8pm and sees that Dillon is continuing to work on his
room as slowly as possible. Dad asks, “Why haven’t you done your homework
yet Dillon?” Dillon tells dad that mom is making him clean his room. Dad
thinks…doesn’t she know it’s time for him to go to bed soon? He won’t finish
his homework. What is she thinking? I can’t believe she doesn’t use any
discipline with him. Dad tells Dillon, “I am your father. You do what I tell you
to do. You need to stop messing around in your room and do your homework.”

5. Unintended Consequences
 Instead of pointing Dillon to his own responsibility, Mom tries to get her
need for affection met, by indicating that Dillon must not love her.
 Dad gives Dillon the opportunity to blame mom for his choices to avoid
his homework.
 Dad overrides mom’s discipline attempt without communicating with her.

6. Scenario 2
Alicia is in the eighth grade. She has been coming home from
school and crying in her bedroom off and an on for the last two
weeks. She is experiencing verbal abuse from the other girls
because she “sticks out.” Alicia feels that her friends pick on her
because she is a Christian. She is proud of her faith, but she
knows that she is different. She is struggling to talk to her
parents. Her father gets frustrated when he hears that she is
getting bullied. He yells about the school and immediately gives
advice about what to say to win the arguments with the girls.
Mom said she was going to the school to get the teacher
involved. Alicia assumes that her father wants her to stand up
for herself. She thinks her mom wants to fight her battles for her.
She imagines how the other girls will laugh at her for “bringing
her mommy to school.”
She becomes more depressed and does not know where to turn.

7. Unintended Consequences
 Dad’s actions demonstrate his belief that this is his responsibility to fix by
giving her advice.
 Mom’s actions demonstrate her belief that this is her responsibility to fix
by threatening to go to the school to confront the teacher.
Notice how we have two conflicting forms of help from the parents.
Neither strategy helps Alicia learn a healthy lesson about herself or her
identity in Christ.
They did not ask Alicia what kind of support she needs to make choices
with this struggle at school. Neither of them demonstrated confidence in
their daughter’s abilities to learn from life’s struggle to make decisions.
Alicia will feel robbed of her individuality in a few years if her
parents continue this pattern.

8. Scenario 3
 Little Johnny is running around the store, hiding in the clothes
racks and just bouncing off the walls. His mother is clinging to
her infant while little Johnny runs wild. She keeps telling
him, “stop” and “don’t do that” , but she is too embarrassed to
yell…for the first half-hour of her shopping trip. After she has had
enough of trying to get him under control with her constant
pleading with him, she finally explodes and tells little
Johnny, “That’s it! Your grounded for a week!” Little Johnny
begins to scream and break down in the middle of the store. He
throws himself on the ground and rolls around on the floor, which
makes his mom even more embarrassed. The other shoppers try
not to look shocked, but mom can see it in their eyes…they show
a look of judgment and scorn at her inability to get Johnny to
behave.

9. Unintended Consequences
 Mom continues to feel that she does not have what it takes to manage
Johnny’s behaviors in public.
 Johnny learns that he can push mom’s limits and boundaries since there
are no negative side effects to his choices.
 Johnny may not learn to connect cause and effect later in life. It may be
especially difficult for him later to understand how other people feel or
respect their feelings. (Empathy)

10. Part Two: The Word
The Ten Commandments
Exodus Chapter 20
The best behavior modification template follows God’s
design.
1. God gave us ten commandments which are His rules.
2. He tells us He is God and we are not.
3. These rules (The Word of God) are written on the hearts
(Conscience) of everyone.

11. 1. We tell the truth.
2. We only put food in our mouth.
3. We clean up when we are done.
4. We say “yes, ma’am/sir”
5. We don’t throw our toys.
6. We say “please” and “thank you.”
7. We are gentle with books.
8. We stop when mom/dad says stop.
9. We don’t bang on the table.
10. We don’t yell inside.
Ten Rules for our home…
As understood by our two year old Elizabeth, Lauren and me.

12. 1. I will finish my school work before it is due.
2. I will not argue with my parents after they have considered
my request or frustrations.
3. I will not try to get permission from one parent after the other
has already said no. (Splitting, boundaries, respect)
4. I will not use my friends as an example of how my life
should be.
5. I will tell the truth.
6. I will not with-hold the truth.
7. I will tell my parents where I am going and who I am going with.
8. I will not go off with people my parents do not approve of.
9. I will be home by 10pm on Friday and Saturday night.
10.I will spend 15 minutes per day doing chores.
Ten Rules forAlicia:

13. How to use the ten rules for your home.
If you ______ then _______ will happen.
Gen. 2:17 …but from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from
it you will surely die.
If you eat from that tree…then you will die.

14. We ate from the tree…and began
to die in our sin…

15. Intervention
Johnny, if you go into the clothes rack again, we are
going to go to that corner over there and have time out.
Do you want to go to time out?
Johnny’s response option 1. No.
Then stop going into the clothes rack. If you go in the
clothes rack again you will go to time out.
Johnny’s response option 2. Sure, I’ll go to time out.
Take Johnny to time out…repeat as necessary.

16. What if it doesn’t work?
Ifthe childdoes not stop the behavior you can find something more
valuable for him to lose. (This is most fun with teenagers and dad’s
car.)
Their stuff can go to time out too! (Or your stuff for that matter.)
It’s okay fora non-compliant childto go to time out
many, many, many times.
Eventually, after you consistently point to the rule he will realize that
he is responsible for his choices.
He will change his behavior, because he sees that you will not be
split from the rules.

17. Part Three: Jesus was the word.
One of the biggest struggles we have as parents is to haveour
children comply with what we say.
We put ourselves on the throne.
Our goal should be to help them make decisions, not just do
what we say…

18. Splitting or Divisions:
Sometimes we model to our kids that we are the rule…”do what
I say.” This is called splitting in psychology and divisions in the
Bible.
By pointing to the rules, I am pointing them back to God, and
their choice to follow His standard. It keeps me and my flaws
out of it.
Sometimes we put mom on the throne or dad on the throne. But we
have to take Jesus off of the throne to do this.

19. John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God.
Verse 14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was
crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace
was upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus laid down His authority on the cross. Therefore, I should
remain humble too. He was the Word (or the rules). If I point
my child to the rules I point them towards Christ.
Jesus is the only exception to the difference between rules and people.

20. Internalization
One of the most important lessons your child can learn is that you are very
comfortable not being God. This teaches them to “internalize” or take in
their responsibility for their choices. When they learn a lesson it contributes
to their identity, and they grow in character. Teaching them structure and
consistency teaches them to build internal boundaries against sin.

21. Why we follow the ten rules
We follow the ten rules to communicate a clear understanding of our
expectations for our children.
We follow them because these are the rules that the children have agreed are
fair.
We follow them as parents because we are demonstrating that we live by the
same standards, values and rules that they do.
We follow them because God gave ten commandments for His people to
follow.
We follow them because Jesus was the ten commandments
in bodily form, and we want to point our children towards Him.