Teach Real Principles · Free Printable
What Is a Law For? — Discussion Sheet
A companion sheet for The Tuttle Twins Learn About the Law — or for any conversation about rules. Ages 7–13.
The idea underneath: some rules protect what everyone already
has a right to — your body, your things, your choices. Others just take
choices away. Kids can tell these apart far earlier than we expect, and once
they can, they notice it everywhere.
1. Sort them
For each one, tick whether it protects someone, or just
removes a choice. Some are genuinely arguable — those are the best ones.
| The rule |
Protects |
Removes |
Not sure |
| You can’t take someone else’s bike without asking. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Everyone has to wear the same colour socks. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| You have to stop at a red light. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Nobody is allowed to sell lemonade without permission. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| You can’t hit someone because you’re angry. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Only certain people are allowed to speak at the meeting. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| You have to keep a promise you made in a deal. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
2. Talk about it
- Which one was hardest to decide? Say why out loud — that’s the actual thinking.
- Could a rule be fair and still be a bad rule? Can you think of one?
- If nobody enforced a rule, would it still be a rule?
- Who should be allowed to make rules for other people — and how would they get that right?
- Name a rule at home you’d change. What would go wrong if we changed it?
3. Write your own: one rule you think every family should have — and who it protects.
For the grown-up: there are no answers on this sheet on
purpose. A child who argues a case you disagree with, and argues it well,
has done exactly what it’s for.