Habits to be instilled in children

One of the most arduous tasks of parents are the habits that must be instilled in children so that they are good people. You have to provide them with healthy and positive habits so that they go out into the world to do good. This is perhaps one of the main responsibilities that adults with children go through.

Habits are behaviors acquired by repeating the same or similar acts. According to psychology, a habit can include anything from a gesture to the satisfaction of personal cravings. They are a basic element of learning, so it is the parents who must teach it.

How to instill habits or routines in children?

The main thing is to offer safety to children. Give them the certainty of knowing what comes after each activity: eating, brushing teeth, sleeping. You have to give them peace of mind and foresight.

By doing this, children feel better, more secure, and more confident in themselves. In a family environment it is more affectionate.

It is easier to instill habits in children if everyone in the house follows the same pattern of behavior. If mom, dad and brothers know what to do and what is their role in the family. You have to give them a role at home, encouraging their collaboration.

A key point is that the routine and your daily performance must be stable. Bedia says, in her work "The importance of habits and routines in 3-year-olds", that habits help children to be autonomous. By acquiring them they have more tools to deal with the day to day.

Habits to be instilled in children

The ideal is to always teach the good habits and explain why you should not have the bad ones. This is a crucial task for parents and a turning point in the child's life. Here we collect some that can help you in the task of parenting.

1. Don't skip breakfast or any meal

It is no lie that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for children. In fact, three minimum intakes should be made daily, but it is the first of the day that provides the necessary energy to face the day.

If breakfast is not eaten, the body goes into metabolic lethargy. What we know in the technological world as a Power saving mode. Concentration is difficult and premature fatigue appears.

Read also: Why not skip breakfast

2. Read daily

Reading sharpens the senses, stimulates the exchange of knowledge, encourages concentration and empathy, in addition to giving a broader knowledge of the world.

For daily reading, parents can read a story or a novel to them before bedtime and go through chapters, leaving the intrigue regarding what follows. You have to make it interested and not an obligation.

3. Look at food labels

Eating healthy includes reading the labels of what we eat. By looking at them we know what we are consuming, what amount of sugars and calories, their expiration date and preparation and the ingredients and additives.

By reading the ingredients and nutritional information we can compare with other products and know what is more beneficial.

4. Be understanding

When the child is impatient or angry with someone else's behavior, remind him that he is not perfect either and ask if he would like to be treated that way.

Make him understand that people have weaknesses in some activities and that does not make them less. It better shows that if he is good at one activity and another is not, he can teach them how to do it well.

5. Get enough sleep

The hours of sleep depend on how old we are. Between 3 and 5 years, children should sleep between 10 and 13 hours a day; between 6 and 13 are from 9 to 11 hours a day. If you don't get enough sleep there is a decline in daily performance, problems thinking clearly and making decisions.

Discover: How to improve your nighttime routine to sleep better?

6. Limit screen time

When you let him watch TV, be on the phone, on the computer or on the tablet, regulate the time they spend playing or in front of the screen. Set schedules and always do it at certain times of the day. For that you can help yourself using parental control.

7. Do any physical or educational activity

From a young age you can enroll them in an activity outside of school, such as dancing, martial arts, swimming or target shooting. If your little one is not good at physicality, you can take him to chess, to study a language, to piano or painting classes.

8. Wash your hands

Washing your hands goes beyond a code of behavior. Doing it before eating or after leaving the bathroom prevents contamination and will keep the child healthy.

The habits that should be instilled in children reflect the parents

Remember that children are the reflection of their parents and that they do not learn quickly. Habits are assumed by repetition and by watching others do it. By teaching them you are not only a great father, but a good human being.

Do not be discouraged on the way. It is a long journey with a path that does not end. The important thing is the process and the consciousness of forming human beings for the world of the future.