Display rules

Display rules are like the rules that some people follow when they play games. You probably know that when you play a game, you have to follow certain rules so that everyone can have fun and be safe. Display rules work in a similar way, but instead of being about games, they are about how we show our feelings and emotions to other people.

Imagine you're playing a game of pretend with your friends. You might take turns being the leader or the hero, and sometimes you might get upset if someone else isn't playing by the rules. That's sort of how display rules work, but instead of being about games, they are about how we show our emotions.

So, when we're in certain situations, like if we're at school or at a party, there are certain things we might do to show our emotions in an appropriate way. For example, if we feel happy, we might smile or laugh. If we feel sad, we might cry or look down. But sometimes we might feel one way, but we have to act another way because of the situation we're in.

For example, if we're at a funeral, we might feel sad, but it might not be appropriate to cry and wail loudly. Instead, we might have to keep our emotions under control and just look sad or maybe just shed a few tears quietly. That's a display rule.

Display rules are like a guide that tells us how we should act in certain situations so that we are not offending or upsetting other people. They are different in different cultures and different situations, so it's important to pay attention and watch what other people are doing so that we can follow along.