Learn about the best parenting practices which you can follow to inculcate good habits and behaviour in your children.Developing good habits in children is the responsibility of parents. Children are malleable and impressionable and are not born with any virtues. It is the practices and
values that parents inculcate in them which make them good human beings with great habits. However inculcating
good habits in children is sometimes a major parenting challenge. If you are confused about the right approach to good habit building then you can take help from this guide.
Act Like a Role Model
Children learn more from action than from words so make sure that you scale up your actions to match your words as a parent. For example, if you teach your children the virtues of speaking the truth then make sure that you are truthful at least in their presence. In case your kids hear you lying or misinterpreting facts to your boss, colleagues, neighbours etc then they will not take your advice about truthfulness seriously. Similarly, if you want to inculcate punctuality in your kids then try being punctual yourself always. Sometimes the road to parenthood starts with becoming a better human being.
Point Out Examples
Point out examples of
good behaviour and demonstration of good habits to your kids always so that they learn that good habits deserve praise. For example, if you see your kid’s friends, siblings, classmates etc demonstrating good habits like sincerity,
good manners,
discipline then do not hesitate to praise them in front of your kid. Soon your children will strive hard to earn that praise for themselves. Encourage your children to observe the presence of good habits in others and learn from example.
Develop an Appropriate Reward System
When it comes to kids the reward-punishment theory always works wonders. A reward will let your kids know that they have done something right, give them added incentive for doing the right things and encourage their sense of self confidence. So when you are trying to get your kids learn good habits like packing up their school bag themselves or brushing their teeth every night without reminders then do make sure that you reward them with something that they really like once they begin picking up these habits.
Encourage Competition
If you are parent to more than one child then healthy sibling rivalry is one area that you can easily use to your advantage while teaching them good habits. Create friendly competitive situations by organizing mock contests like “who can clean up the table faster” or “who can make the bed faster”. At first your kids will compete with each other just for the sake of it but later they will truly begin to understand the essence of the good habit. Once they get in the habit of doing these things the good habits are likely to stick for life.
Help Your Kids
Your kids may find it difficult or inconvenient in the beginning to adhere to what you say in context of building good habits. For small children it might be really difficult to keep their room clean or their clothes, books etc; organized. Help your kids in achieving neatness and teach them yourself on the basic ways in which they can ensure orderliness. With time when your kids get used to helping in getting their room organized they will automatically learn those habits. Soon you will be spared of the responsibility of having to help your kids and your children will manage their stuff themselves.
Remember that when it comes to building good habits, practice always makes perfect. The more you practice or help your kids practice the virtues of good habits the closer you will get in helping your kids become better humans.
How to develop good habits in children? What are the ways to develop good behaviour in children? How to inculcate good manners and discipline in children? Discuss here.