There are household norms that make perfect sense to the people living in the house, until a guest hears one and goes, “Wait, that’s a real thing?” Every home has its little quirks, and a harmless little habit can stick around long enough to become an unofficial house rule.
People on Reddit shared some of these wonderfully specific laws after one user asked what oddly specific rule they enforce at home. We’ve rounded up some of the strangest ones, including rules with a story behind them and others so random you may need a minute to process.
#21
The toilet lid was closed when you entered my bathroom for a reason. That's not arbitrary, and you should not leave it open when you flush and leave the bathroom.
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26points
And families do love turning ordinary moments into inside jokes. A phrase said at the wrong time, an embarrassing mistake, or one particularly memorable dinner can be brought up for years. Over time, the joke becomes shorthand, and you don’t need to explain the whole story because everybody in the room already knows it.
#22
You can’t cook seafood indoors at my house. The smell makes me physically ill 🤮.
26points
#23
If you are going to watch TikTok or other social media shorts in the room I'm in it's really annoying. So either use headphones so I don't have to hear it, or (counterintuitively) turn it up loud so that I can hear it properly and then tune it out.
I don't want to hear it, but I can tune out normal volumes - if it's a vague, tinny whisper my brain tries to figure out what's being said. It's then even worse if every 30 seconds it's a new voice to tune out instead of longform content.
I don't want to hear it, but I can tune out normal volumes - if it's a vague, tinny whisper my brain tries to figure out what's being said. It's then even worse if every 30 seconds it's a new voice to tune out instead of longform content.
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26points
#24
You're not allowed to get mad at anyone for something they did in a dream.
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26points
Something is reassuring about that familiarity. Family life is full of changes, so having a few predictable things can give people a sense of continuity. Educatly explains that regular family routines can support children’s sense of safety and stability, while the specific routines themselves can vary widely from one household to another.
So no universal handbook exists for what a normal family routine looks like. One household’s perfectly sensible habit can look completely bizarre from the next house over.
#25
Don't pet the cat.
He bit 17 people in row once, his (I assume) own personal record at the time.
It's on them. I greeted all my guests at the door and explained house rules (no open d**g use, no playing with firearms, no fighting, etc.)
And no petting the cat. Cat will f**k you up, he is pissed I'm having a party, just do not touch him even though he lays invitingly.
Guess what they just couldn't not do?
He'd lay on the on couch and act all innocent and then just bite the f**k out of people if they tried to pet him.
He bit 17 people (about a quarter of the people that were there) until word got out I wasn't kidding don't touch the cat.
RIP Buster the b****s no s**t taking cat.
He bit 17 people in row once, his (I assume) own personal record at the time.
It's on them. I greeted all my guests at the door and explained house rules (no open d**g use, no playing with firearms, no fighting, etc.)
And no petting the cat. Cat will f**k you up, he is pissed I'm having a party, just do not touch him even though he lays invitingly.
Guess what they just couldn't not do?
He'd lay on the on couch and act all innocent and then just bite the f**k out of people if they tried to pet him.
He bit 17 people (about a quarter of the people that were there) until word got out I wasn't kidding don't touch the cat.
RIP Buster the b****s no s**t taking cat.
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26points
#26
Fridge/cupboards get cleaned out religiously on Tuesday nights because that's when trash goes out. Things that are almost used up get consolidated, stuff that's been in the leftovers zone for more than a week gets tossed, etc
I grew up in a hoarding situation and just general filth. I try really hard about being on top of junk that accumulates because it's mostly out of sight.
I never could trust the food in my house growing up because unless I saw it go in the fridge/pantry, there was no telling how long it had been there. .
I grew up in a hoarding situation and just general filth. I try really hard about being on top of junk that accumulates because it's mostly out of sight.
I never could trust the food in my house growing up because unless I saw it go in the fridge/pantry, there was no telling how long it had been there. .
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25points
#27
Everyday at 6 P.M. all dogs get a cookie. Cookie time must be respected.
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25points
This is what makes this list so much fun to dig into. The rules people shared reveal the little differences we rarely notice in our own homes. Some have an obvious reason, others have a long-forgotten backstory, and a few exist because that's just how the family has always done things.
And now we want to hear from you, Pandas. Does your family have a strangely specific house rule that everyone follows without question and might sound strange to outsiders? Tell us in the comments.
#28
Dont knock on the door if Im not expecting you. I wont answer.
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25points
#29
At my aunt's house, girls do the dishes. every time i went over for dinner, i had to help clean up while my male cousin (her son) did nothing. once i asked why he couln't help too, and my aunt said, "boys don't do that kind of thing." i stopped going over for dinnder after that.
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24points
#30
More of a personal habit than a rule, but I try to avoid talking on the phone with another person in the room, and I'm apologetic about it when I can't avoid it.
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23points
#31
“We do not butter our corn with our feet.” My 6 year old told his karate instructor this is the most important rule in our house. We never had this rule, it was from a curious George episode but we have it now and we all recite it when ever there’s corn.
22points
#32
Bread must be stored behind some kind of door with a k**b.
Explanation?
Our cat really f****n’ loves bread. Will chew through plastic, open bread boxes, do whatever he can do to get his grubby little mitts on some bread.
Explanation?
Our cat really f****n’ loves bread. Will chew through plastic, open bread boxes, do whatever he can do to get his grubby little mitts on some bread.
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22points
#33
You must eat all your pudding before school.
(My kids have adhd and take meds. They can't swallow the pills and they choose pudding to put it in. I want to put it in half a package, but insist on the whole thing) They need to eat the whole thing to get all their meds
Anyways, sometimes they don't want to finish the while thing, so that is the rule
The other choices are 1. Only use half the pudding, put it in something else, learn to take the pill. The want pudding.
Don't come after me for this. I need them to take the meds and I need to not argue daily about it. I had tried lots of things. Also there are 4 of them and 1 of me.
(My kids have adhd and take meds. They can't swallow the pills and they choose pudding to put it in. I want to put it in half a package, but insist on the whole thing) They need to eat the whole thing to get all their meds
Anyways, sometimes they don't want to finish the while thing, so that is the rule
The other choices are 1. Only use half the pudding, put it in something else, learn to take the pill. The want pudding.
Don't come after me for this. I need them to take the meds and I need to not argue daily about it. I had tried lots of things. Also there are 4 of them and 1 of me.
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21points
#34
No toothpaste below 6ft high.
Lock the master bedroom door at all times.
Bar soap is not for biting.
Hand soap is locked in the cabinet unless actively in use.
Do not leave the unstopables or tide pods on top of the dryer- they belong on the shelf waaaaaay up high.
If the 3yo has been out of sight and quiet for more than 10 seconds, you could bet millions that one of those rules has been broken and she is wreaking havoc with one of those forbidden items. It's happened so many times that even my 9yo and 6yo panic when they realizes they don't see the 3yo. She can outsmart almost any child lock and despite having all the toys that provide mental stimulation, sensory input, and problem solving skills, she just prefers mess making.
Lock the master bedroom door at all times.
Bar soap is not for biting.
Hand soap is locked in the cabinet unless actively in use.
Do not leave the unstopables or tide pods on top of the dryer- they belong on the shelf waaaaaay up high.
If the 3yo has been out of sight and quiet for more than 10 seconds, you could bet millions that one of those rules has been broken and she is wreaking havoc with one of those forbidden items. It's happened so many times that even my 9yo and 6yo panic when they realizes they don't see the 3yo. She can outsmart almost any child lock and despite having all the toys that provide mental stimulation, sensory input, and problem solving skills, she just prefers mess making.
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21points
#35
No suitcases on the bed. Wheels are gross, could have critters picked up in travel, outside is filthy.
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21points
#36
Different sponges for different cleaning.
Aka we do NOT use the same sponge for dishes that we use to deep clean the litter box with.
Aka we do NOT use the same sponge for dishes that we use to deep clean the litter box with.
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20points
#37
The bathroom in the far side of the house is not to be used by anybody except for me. I have extremely bad lactose intolerance and my s***s are absolutely diabolical. It's the furthest bathroom from the rest of the house and the only one with a window.
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20points
#39
You cannot hit your sibling in the face with a quesadilla. We also have a no hitting rule, but in this instance we had to specify what else that included.
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20points
#40
No balloons.
They are just inflatable arguments. You'd think if you got each kid their own, it would be fine. But no. We've tried it all. No balloons.
They are just inflatable arguments. You'd think if you got each kid their own, it would be fine. But no. We've tried it all. No balloons.
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18points
