Values and family rules contribute to the construction of the necessary stability to the healthy development of the family and its members. To know how the rules are constructed and operated in the family a focus group was held, during an hour and a half, with 15 adolescents 15-18 years (8 girls, 7 boys) in a private school in southern Brazil. The group lasted one hour and a half. The results show that while some rules are prescribed by the parents, many are co-constructed and context adaptable. Certain strategies for the maintenance of rules were revealed. Parents use demand, punishment and control. The youth use strategies of resistance and information control, creating space for the development of autonomy, while seeking to maintain a good parental relationship. The conversation is reported as the most effective strategy for maintaining the rules. The importance of parental exercise in the construction and maintenance of rules is discussed.
Adolescence; parenting; family
