We calm ourselves down until we control our feelings and our thoughts, and they do not control us.
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Part h.
Category / Illustration Model Family Rules
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Parts e, f, & g.
If we start to have difficult feelings that we can’t control, it is good to close our eyes and try to focus only on our breathing until our minds are clear.
We can say calming words to ourselves. These are good ones: I breathe in, I breathe out. My thoughts and feelings move away like clouds in the sky, like fish in the sea, like trains in a station. They drift away like the mist of my breath on a cold day. But I am the sky not the clouds, the sea not the fish, the trains not the station. I am the breather, not the breath. I watch my thoughts and feelings move through me and away from me until only I remain and I am clear and still.
There are many other things that can help us calm down. Some good ones are: counting to 100, counting backwards from 100 to 0, solving math problems, playing chess, solving chess or logic puzzles, playing music ,and exercising. It is much easier not to be controlled by our feelings when we do any of these things.
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Part d.
When someone around us is having difficult feelings, we should help them if we can. If we can’t help, we should get away from them.
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Part c.
When we have difficult feelings, it is often good to go to a different place to deal with the feelings away from others.
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Part b.
No one else forces us to have feelings. When we have difficult feelings, it is our job to control how we respond and to calm ourselves down if we need to.
Rule 11. We regulate our emotions. Part a.
It is ok to have difficult feelings.
Rule 10. It is a parent’s job to teach their children their rules and make sure their children follow those rules.
Sometimes this means doing things that would otherwise count as breaking the rules.
Parents may pick their kids up and put them in the kids’ rooms if the kids do not follow the rules.
Parents may take away a toy, screen device, or other item from a person who does not follow the rules.
Rule 9. We act safely. Part b. Section xi.
If a person is in water they can’t swim in, they will die. Deep water, moving water and ice covered ponds are especially dangerous. We always make sure we swim or skate with an adult or lifeguard.
Rule 9. We act safely. Part b. Sections ix and x
Electric current could give us terrible burns and stop our hearts. We never play with electrical outlets, cords, or batteries. We never touch metal that could have electricity flowing through it. We keep liquid far from sources of electricity.
Fire can quickly get out of control and destroy a whole house or even a whole neighborhood. We keep fire in places where it goes, like fireplaces, candle holders, and stoves. We do not do things that could let it escape, like throwing our Hanukkah juggling balls near the menorah. Children only use fire if an adult plans and supervises.
Rule 9. We act safely. Part b. Section viii.
We are extremely careful with people’s heads and faces. We never poke anything into anyone’s eyes, ears, nose, or mouths. We keep sharp or pointy objects away from these body parts.
Model Family Rules 