“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character…” ~ Stephen R. Covey
“A man who gives his children habits of industry provides for them better than by giving them fortune.” ~Richard Whately
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle
If the above quotes are any indication, our daily habits are extremely important. As parents, we need to be diligent about helping our children develop good habits. Again, this is one of those things that must be done with intention. Remember, we are always teaching. Raising great kids takes a lot of time and effort!
Work hard, finish what you start, clean up after yourself, brush your teeth every day, make healthy food choices… these are some of the more obvious good habits we try to develop in our kids. The following are some more healthy habits that we have tried to teach in our family.
Even before our first child was born, my husband and I had determined that we would be a family of prayer. Maybe you haven’t ever thought of prayer as a habit, but we wanted to develop that daily practice in our home. Beginning with that very first night in the hospital following our first child’s birth, we have gathered together as family before bedtime to pray. Whenever our girls have a worry or concern, we pray. Whenever someone is sick and needs healing, we pray. Has it always been easy or convenient? Honestly, no. But all of these years later, the good habit of daily prayer has been established.
As parents, David and I also determined that we wanted our children to learn to always do their best. Over the years, “Do your best” has been our expectation and mantra. Now we hear these words come out of their mouths and we have watched them implement this habit of doing their best in their daily lives.
One last example: We really wanted our children to become good readers and enjoy reading every day. If you can read, you can learn anything! We began reading to them while they were babies. We tucked them into bed as preschoolers with stacks of books to look at and “read” before they went to sleep. As emerging readers, our girls read out loud to us each night. Soon we were reading the same book series together and sharing recommendations within our own little book club. Now one of our favorite things to do is visit the library or local bookstore together.
Good habits take time to develop, but it is time well-spent. Take some time today to think about the habits you want to grow in your kids and then make a plan. Perhaps you will even develop some new good habits for yourself.
