Most kids love to tease and play around with each other, but invariably someone gets upset because the other child doesn’t know when to quit. What can we as parents do to solve this problem?
First of all, this is a great opportunity to teach your children some biblical principles about relationships that will serve them well in life. I love how Jesus kept relationships simple. He states in Matthew 6:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…” (We commonly call this the Golden Rule); and in Matthew 22:39 He said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Here is a practical way to teach your children the above biblical principles and bring peace to the home. Incorporate a "Stop Rule" in your family. It will help children, and parents for that matter, know when to quit.
The Stop Rule is simply this: When a child wants to quit with a teasing or tickling game, that child just says, "Stop" and the other child must stop the game. Even parents need to stop when a child doesn't want to be teased anymore. In fact, a good way to teach this rule is for a parent to tickle a child and stop immediately when the child says “Stop.”
Of course, to make this work, you as a parent need to be available to enforce the rule. When you hear one child say, "Stop," watch and see if you are needed to step in to enforce the rule. It may take a few reminders from the parent to train your children regarding the new rule, so be patient. In addition, if your child willfully refuses to obey the stop rule you must discipline them to correct and train for future obedience.
One mom said, "I thought this idea was too simple, but one day I was so frustrated, I decided to teach it to my children. They liked the idea…and it worked! Now it has become a regular part of our family life."
The Stop Rule teaches children the value of their words. When someone is relentlessly teasing, your child will know that his or her personal boundaries are being violated and want to seek help. This is a helpful rule for creating boundaries in relationships between siblings or playmates and it teaches children adult solutions for solving their childhood problems. It also shows them the practical application of Jesus’ instructions to all of us.