6 Ways to Help Your Kids Create Good Habits

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For many adults, it’s a struggle to create good habits. They leave school and all the habits they have are developed around the trigger of going to school, so their habits can easily start to fall apart. 

But homeschoolers have an advantage! We can start habit training that works with the real world and real life because our children’s lives aren’t ruled by the fact that they spend 8+ hours in a separate school building.  For Charlotte Mason-style homeschoolers, habit training is not a new concept and is a vital part of educating their children. 

But homeschoolers can also have a downfall as well. Sometimes we focus so heavily on growing academic skills that we lose focus on non-academic habits. In reality, non-academic habits are actually more helpful for long-term success in life. 

What is a Good Habit? 

Any habit that is good for your mental health, physical health and makes your life easier is a good habit.  Having a good habit means that you make these healthy, good choices without having to think about them.   

Good habits can be tidying up after yourself when you finish a project or choosing a healthy lunch over fast food.  

It is not that some people are more inclined to make those choices, the fact is those people have developed these good habits over time.  

And we can raise children who regularly make good choices too with a little bit of habit training. 

Why It’s Important to Create Good Habits

Good habits are so important for leading a successful life.  Good habits shape our lives and make routine things automatic freeing up some of our mental energy.  They can even help you to have a healthy life and extend your life. 

While developing a good habit is not the easiest feat, the payoff can last a lifetime. You can start helping your child develop habits using Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum and habit training techniques. 

What is Charlotte Mason-Style Habit Training? 

Charlotte Mason-style habit training is a system of teaching good habits through the process of changing a bad habit. It is not about changing brains or personalities, but about developing good habits that enable you to live a good life.  

Whenever you find yourself repeating yourself to your children, you have not properly trained them in that habit.  

How Do I Teach Charlotte Mason Habits? 

Start with a bad habit that is really bothering you the most in your children and begin with just that one. 

It can be really easy to want to break all your child’s bad habits at one time but if you just stick with one habit at a time that your child can focus on you will see progress in your child more quickly.  

Creating a new habit is a 6-step process

Step 1: Be intentional about your habit. 

You want to be intentional about developing habits that are good for you, your children, and your family. 

When choosing a bad habit to replace with a good habit or a new good habit to establish, make sure that you have the time and energy to be consistent in habit training. 

Step 2: Discuss why you think this habit is a good one to adopt 

It is important that you explain to your children why they need to adopt a good habit. 

When they understand the why behind the habit, they are more likely to adopt it with less struggle.  

“Cleaning up our toys when we are finished playing means that when we want to play again we can find our toys easily. And it’s safer because no one will trip on your toys. And one more bonus, toys won’t get accidentally stepped on a broke.”  

Step 3: Model the Behavior 

When your child is learning a new habit you need to model the behavior you are wanting them to learn.  

If it is cleaning up toys, then every time it is time to clean up, sit down with them and help them build that skill. 

Step 4: Consistency is Key 

The more you can stick with a good habit the quicker your child will learn it. New habits take 4 or more weeks to learn.

 If you start teaching your child a new habit but life happens and you find yourself inconsistent at best, your child is not going to pick up that new skill.  

While I am not saying you strive for perfection, but if you aren’t consistent your child is just going to learn that sometimes you clean up after you play and other times it’s okay not to. 

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Step 5: Focus on the Positives 

When your child starts doing the new habit without being directed, praise and recognition when they remembered to do the habit.  

Celebrating the success will help reinforce that behavior. Gently remind your child to complete the habit if they forget but avoid being negative about it. 

Step 6: Don’t let a bad habit slip in! 

Once your child is successful remembering and doing their habit, you cannot just let it go and move on. 

You will still need to check on your child and make sure that they are still doing the habit and they haven’t let a bad habit slip in its place.

What are 5 Good Habits to Encourage in my Child? 

While Charlotte Mason suggests the top two habits you work on are attention and obedience, there are other good habits for kids that have long-term effects as well.   

Those include cleanliness, manners, sleep hygiene, attention, and healthy eating. 

Cleanliness

For Charlotte Mason followers this starts with the child keeping their hands and face clean but this can go beyond hygiene and extend into the tidiness of their surroundings.  

Manners

Manners and politeness are cornerstones in habit training for Charlotte Mason education. 

Sleep Hygiene

While this one isn’t direct from Charlotte Mason, sleep issues are becoming more and more of a problem in our society and have long-lasting health, memory, and concentration effects.  

Attention

Attention is a major habit for followers of Charlotte Mason.  For this habit not only are they talking about giving someone your full attention but also your child’s ability to focus completely on the task at hand.  

Healthy Eating

While Charlotte Mason does place importance on a proper diet and a specific diet. 

Our understanding of healthy, nutritious food has changed a lot since Charlotte Mason.  It is still highly important for a child to get a well-balanced and healthy diet and it is a habit you can help your child develop. 

Helping your child to develop new habits is a lot of work for parents but pays in dividends as your child grows and even into their adult lives.  

Make sure to start with small habit training and as your child gets older, you can move up to bigger habits. Start small. 

Just remember that consistency is key and if you don’t spend time helping your child, they won’t develop the habit.  

Drop a comment below: do you have any tips for homeschooling parents in helping their kids create good habits?

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