Setting up rules for activities that occur daily can reduce the need for you to make decisions.  For example, snacks are for snack time, we watch shows after dinner; we ride in the cart at the store.  Setting these rules allows you to just follow the rules and not decide when you would like to give your child a snack or when you would allow your child to walk in the store.

Without these consistent rules, you may inadvertently reward your child for poor behavior.  In this example:  Grace wants some chips but you feel it may ruin dinner time if she eats them.  She states, “but I’m really hungry.”  You feel bad for Grace and give her some chips.  It doesn’t ruin dinner and she was fine.  The next day, she asked for chips again but it is closer to dinner.  You say no and she begins to cry and screaming “but I’m hungry.”  You feel bad and want her to stop crying so you give her the chips.

There may be exception to rules.  For example during a picnic with friends and family, you may not have rules about eating schedules or what they may or may not have during the picnic.