Rules for kids make the most sense when children understand why the rule is there. On this page Golu reads two short picture stories aloud in Hindi and English. In "Golu's Class Rules" he learns why we raise a hand to talk, walk inside the classroom and put toys back. In "Rules at Golu's House" he learns why shoes stay by the door, why we wash hands before eating and why bedtime matters. At each choice your child helps Golu follow the rule.
Every rule in the stories comes with its reason, in words a 4-year-old can repeat: "When everyone shouts, nobody can hear." "Toys on the floor can make someone trip." Children follow rules they understand much more willingly than rules that are just "because I said so".
The two rules stories
| Story | Rules | The reason, as the story says it |
|---|---|---|
| Golu's Class Rules गोलू की कक्षा के नियम | Raise your hand to talk | When everyone shouts, nobody can hear. |
| Walk inside the classroom | Walking feet do not bump or fall. | |
| Toys go back in the basket | Toys on the floor can make someone trip, and tomorrow we cannot find them. | |
| Rules at Golu's House गोलू के घर के नियम | Shoes stay by the door | Rules keep our family safe, clean and happy. |
| Wash hands with soap before eating | Tiny germs can go into the tummy; soap and water wash them away. | |
| Bed on time | Sleep helps your body rest and grow. |
The class story has two choices and the home story has one. If your child picks "Shout even louder" or "Start eating right away", Golu gently explains what would happen and offers Let's try again. There is no telling off.
Why do we need rules? (An answer for children)
Children often ask "Why?" about rules, and it is a good question. Here is a simple answer you can give a 4- or 5-year-old: Rules help everyone stay safe, be fair, and look after our things and each other. Most rules fit into one of those three:
- Safe: walk inside, hold hands on the road, do not touch the stove.
- Fair: raise your hand, take turns, wait in the line.
- Caring: tidy up, wash hands, put shoes by the door, be gentle with books.
When you make a new rule, try saying which of the three it is: "This is a safe rule" or "This is a fair rule". Children soon start sorting rules themselves.
Classroom rules for kids in preschool and kindergarten
Good classroom rules for nursery, LKG and UKG are few, short and positive. They say what to do, not only what not to do. "Walking feet" works better than "No running", because it gives the child a picture of the right action.
| Say this (positive) | Instead of | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Raise your hand to talk | Don't shout | बोलने के लिए हाथ उठाओ |
| Walking feet inside | No running | अंदर धीरे चलो |
| Gentle hands | Don't hit | हाथ नरमी से |
| Toys go home to the basket | Don't leave a mess | खिलौने टोकरी में वापस |
| Listening ears | Stop talking | ध्यान से सुनो |
Teachers can use the class story at circle time at the start of the school year, then make a rules chart together with the children's own drawings. Four or five rules are enough for this age.
House rules for kids: how to set them
- Keep it to a few. Three to five family rules are plenty for a child under 6.
- Make them together. Ask your child: "What rule would help our family?" A rule a child helped make is a rule a child remembers. That is the real-world mission on this page.
- Draw them. A picture of shoes by the door or soap and water, stuck at child height, reminds better than words.
- Everyone follows them. If the rule is "shoes by the door", Papa's shoes go there too.
- Use routines. Washing hands before every meal, the same bedtime order every night. Rules become easy when they become habits. Our good habits for kids page practises many of these.
When your child breaks a rule
All young children break rules; that is how they learn where the edges are. Stay calm and short. Remind them of the rule and its reason ("Walking feet. We don't want you to bump"), and show them what to do instead. Praise the next time they follow it: "You put your shoes by the door without me asking!" Shouting and long lectures rarely work with under-6s, and harsh punishments can make children hide mistakes instead of learning from them.
Some children find rules extra hard, including many children with ADHD, autism or speech delay. Picture rules, a visual timetable, a warning before changes ("Two more minutes, then tidy-up time") and the same short phrase every time all help. If you are worried about your child's behaviour, talk to your paediatrician or the school.
Using this page at home or in class
Golu reads each page aloud, and the words light up as he reads. Tap any picture to hear it talk: tap the raised hand and it says "Raise your hand to talk". The अ+A button switches between Hindi and English order. Each story takes about four minutes. Watch together, then act the rules out: raise hands at dinner to say one thing about your day, or have a "walking feet" race across the room.
Picture questions after each story
Golu's Class Rules
- Who taught the class rules? (The teacher)
- Where did this story happen? (In Golu's classroom at school)
- What happened when Golu raised his hand? (The teacher called on him, he said "mango", and everyone heard him)
Rules at Golu's House
- Who made dal and rice? (Maa)
- Where did Golu wash his hands? (In the kitchen, with soap and water)
- What happened at bedtime? (Golu wanted to play more, but Maa said sleep helps his body grow, and he went to bed)
More picture questions are on the story comprehension page. For safety rules like the road, hot things and water, see safety rules for kids, and for please and thank you, see good manners for kids.
