34 rules our Southern parents taught us that we'll never break

34 rules our Southern parents taught us that we'll never break
(CBS photo via Everett Collection)

Some rules are made to be broken, and then there are the rules our parents taught us that we wouldn't dare disobey. Whether it's a literal rule (turn off the light when you leave a room), one open to interpretation (if it's worth doing, do it right), or a rule that's oddly specific (never put tomatoes in the gumbo), all parents have a set of rules they expect their kids to follow.


That's why we asked our readers to tell us about theirs. We got more than 3,000 replies after asking "What is a rule that your parent taught you that you'll never break?" on the It's a Southern Thing Facebook page.

That's a lot of rules, y'all, and they were all worth following. To see some of our favorites, you can read below. To see all of the comments, click here.

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No white shoes after Labor Day

"No white shoes after Labor Day or before Easter. I've actually tried to break this one, but I fear my mother and grandma would come back and slap me into next week. Makes me queasy." -- Dianne Martin

Mind your manners

"I was always taught to respect my elders, and even though I am older, I still to this day respect my elders, and even the younger generation, in hopes that they will also learn respect. All of this starts with: yes ma'am, no sir, please, thank you and then moves on to, if you borrow something, take it back clean and still in working condition; if it broke, either fix it or give them the money to replace it." -- Christiana Diehl

'Guest presents' are a must

(Storyblocks)


"Always have 'guest' presents wrapped under the tree in case anyone brings an extra friend Christmas Day." -- Nicole Weis

"Family holds back!"

"When guests were at the dinner table, 'family holds back!' This meant take the least desirable /smallest amounts so there would be plenty for our guests to enjoy. I actually believed my grandmother preferred the wing or back of the fried chicken." -- Jennifer Black

Give a good handshake

"My dad taught me to always give a good, firm handshake and look people in the eye. As cliche as it sounds, it shows the other person that you value meeting them and appreciate their time." -- Kayla Cox

Always respect your elders

3 generations of womenShutterstock

"Never, ever, no matter how grown you think you are (or even if you may technically be grown) refer to ANY adult relative by just their first name, you had best always include Aunt or Uncle. I still have scars (psychical and emotional) for thinking I could just ask "Gladis" if she wanted ice cream with the birthday cake. My family isn't that big, but I swear I was slapped by 100 people reminding me it was AUNT Gladis!!" -- Ruthie Johnson

Keep a pair of 'good' pajamas

"Keep a pair of 'good' pajamas in case you have to go to the hospital. I can't even tell you how many brand new pajamas were at my Moms house when we were cleaning out her bedroom. God rest her sweet soul." -- Brenda Greene Witte

Always wear clean underwear.

"The one rule that doesn't matter, though we have abided by the rule, is wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident. Truth is...they cut off all your clothes in an emergency. Yeah....had my favorite bra on "that" day." -- Kay Reynolds

Don't toot at the dinner table

"Learned never to toot at the dinner table. My brother did that once. My mother stood up, reached across the table and slapped him out of his chair! I also learned that you don't laugh when your brother is slapped out of his chair!" -- Debra Heffner

Write thank you cards.

Photo by Haley Laurence

"Always write a thank-you note for a gift. And don't serve guests broken crackers or cookies." -- Barbara Wolff Cavalluzzi

Read more: There is a war on thank-you notes and it must be stopped

Turn off the lights when you leave the room!

"Turn the lights off when you leave the room!" -- Josh Hamilton

Don't pass up the potty.

"Never pass up a potty opportunity when traveling!! Gets more useful the older I get." -- Caroline Dominick Turner

Keep your promises.


"Keep your promises. Your word is everything." -- April Previte Turner

Make sure your friends get home safe.

"Another good one from my dad was when you take a girl out, make sure she gets in the house safely. I may be married now, but if I ever drop off anyone, I make sure they get inside safely." -- Zac Gentry

Eat what's offered.

"Eat what is offered or go hungry til the next meal. I don't understand parents who offer their children a separate meal." -- June Iljana

Don't call after 9 p.m.

(Storyblocks)

"If you call after 9 p.m., you better be in the hospital or the house is on fire." -- Cynthia Clark

Know about gun safety.

"Treat every firearm as if it were loaded, and do not point it at anything you do not wish to destroy." -- Jacob Lichty

Take care of what isn't yours.

"If you borrow something, take care of it and return it in better condition than you got it." -- Debbie White

Don't turn the lights on inside the car.

"Don't turn the lights on inside the car. It's illegal. As an adult, I learned it's not. ????" -- Elizabeth J. Horne

Pay your respects for a funeral procession.

"Always ALWAYS, pull over to the side of the road to pay your respects for a funeral procession passing by. Folks definitely don't always seem to understand that these days." -- Chrissa Shanks Williams

Know when to zip it.

"If you can't say something good, don't say anything." -- Art Cate

Don't put your feet on the furniture.

"Never put your feet on the furniture of someone else's house. It makes you look like you don't respect them." -- Colleen Havel

Do it right.

"Don't "half-do" things. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." -- Mandy Chuntz

Seriously, do what's right.

"Wrong doesn't become right just because it's accepted by the majority." -- Audra Henderson Gaines

Be an eagle, y'all.

"If you can hoot with owls on Saturday night you can soar with the eagles on Sunday morning." -- Kelly West Smith

Tip well.

"My father taught me to always tip and TIP WELL and my grandmother taught me never to go to someone's house empty-handed." -- Margy Walker

No tomatoes in the gumbo.

"No jeans or shorts in church. No tomatoes in gumbo. Always treat a janitor or a CEO with the same respect. Be kind always." -- Kyra Fontenot

Push your chair in.

"Pushing in my chair when I get up from the table. It drives me crazy when people dont do this in public!" -- Stacy Carroll

Have the sweet tea ready.

4 mason jar glasses filled with sweet tea and a lemon and a pitcher of sweet teaShutterstock.com

"My granny always said have a pitcher of sweet tea made. You never know whose coming to visit just in case The Lord comes to supper." -- Melinda Mo Turner

Don't flush toilet paper.

"My grandparents taught me to never flush toilet paper! They had a septic tank, so it would always clog. Though now, I know I can if I want to, I don't. Just habit I guess. 😊" -- Cheyenne Barnett

Don't litter.

"My dad was adamant about no littering, throwing nothing out a car window... to this day I wouldn't dare!" -- Sherry Brown

Be gracious.

"To be gracious and act like you like a gift that is given to you whether you do or not. I have taught my children and grandchildren the same rule." -- Libba Elizabeth

Don't wash dishes in a lightning storm.

"Don't wash dishes when it's lightning out or you'll get struck😂 I still won't to this day!!!" -- Amanda Cowart Frame

Show the ones you love how much you love 'em.


"My mom told me, "I may not love what you do, but I will always love you." I have told the same thing to my children." -- Susan Adams Forbes

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