Growing up under my parents’ roof was anything but ordinary because they had a set of house rules that most people would find downright bizarre. But as weird as those guidelines were, they made my childhood memorable—I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Here are eleven of the most ridiculous house rules they enforced and why I’m actually glad they did. I never would’ve guessed at the time how grateful I would end up being.
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Curtains Must Be Closed at Exactly 7:00 PM
Every evening at 7:00 PM sharp, we had to close all curtains & blinds—no exceptions, not even if the sun was still shining bright or if it was pitch dark outside! My parents insisted it was for privacy but it often felt like we were hiding from something & missing the deadline led to a firm reminder. We all became very punctual about it and rightly so because having a schedule made sure we always did it.
No Talking to Pets in Baby Voices
In our house, you had to speak to the pets like you would to another adult because baby talk was strictly forbidden. My parents believed that treating animals with respect meant talking to them properly which, of course, led to some amusingly formal conversations with our dog! He didn’t seem to mind either way and while it was odd, it became second nature after a while.
All Clocks Set Five Minutes Ahead
Our parents set every clock in the house exactly five minutes fast and they swore it helped us be on time for everything—it really did! They didn’t keep this a secret so we all knew about the extra five minutes and it did take some mental gymnastics to keep track. But eventually, we just adjusted and being early became a habit so we rarely ran late for anything.
No Speaking Before 8 AM
Until the clock hit 8 AM, we weren’t allowed to talk because my parents believed that starting the day in silence helped begin things in a peaceful way. For a chatty kid like me, it was quite difficult—we resorted to gestures & scribbling notes to communicate before school. It sure was strange but the quiet mornings grew on us because they gave us a time to reflect each day.
No Talking During Commercials
We also weren’t allowed to talk during TV commercials—shows were fair game for chatting but once the ads came on, silence was mandatory. My parents loved to analyze commercials & thought they were entertaining, which was the opposite of most families! But they were right for doing so because it taught us to really think about everything we were consuming on TV.
No Leftovers Allowed
My parents didn’t allow us to keep leftovers in the fridge overnight which meant that whatever was cooked that day had to be eaten or shared before bedtime. They were rather serious about avoiding food waste and such rules led to some interesting late-night snack combinations! We tried to finish everything—sometimes, our neighbors got surprise deliveries of extra portions.
Saturday Morning Mandatory Nature Walks
Sleeping in on Saturdays wasn’t allowed because every week, we had to go on a morning nature walk as a family—rain or shine, we went to the local parks & trails! My parents wanted us to appreciate the outdoors and get some exercise, even though we usually grumbled at the early start. However, the fresh air usually won us over and, in all honesty, I’m glad they made us do this.
Limit of One Hour of Sitting at a Time
We weren’t allowed to sit for more than an hour straight at home and my parents set timers to remind us to get up & move. It didn’t matter if we were stretching, doing a quick chore or just walking around—we had to break up long periods of inactivity. They believed it was better for our health, although having to walk around did get rather annoying during movie marathons.
Family Storytelling Hour on Sundays
Every Sunday evening, we got together for a family storytelling hour which involved each person having to share a story to everyone else—made-up or from memory. My parents wanted us to improve our sense of creativity & public speaking skills as we took turns spinning tall tales. Soon enough, those storytelling sessions became something we looked forward to at the end of the weekend.
Assigned Seating Rotation at the Dinner Table
We had to change our seats at the dinner table according to a chart my parents made as they believed it was important for us to experience different perspectives—literally. In doing so, we didn’t get too comfortable in one spot, although it was a bit of a hassle remembering where to sit. Even so, it did mix things up and kept dinners interesting.
No Using the Same Cup Twice in a Day
Finally, we had a rule where we weren’t allowed to use the same drinking cup more than once a day. If you wanted water in the morning & juice in the afternoon, you’d need to grab a fresh cup each time—my parents insisted it was more sanitary. However, it also meant extra dishes to wash and we started labeling cups to keep track.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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