Choose healthy habits 2022

The importance of Healthy Habits

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” These words from Greek philosopher Aristotle reinforces the fact that your habits form your character, and habits can become addictive. It is therefore important for children to be equipped with the right toolkit so that they can identify when habits are becoming addictions. A habit becomes an addiction when you start to experience problems in your mental and/or physical health and daily functioning.

A habit can be summed up as a routine that gets harder to give up the longer that behaviour goes on. From a mental health point of view, the difference between a habit vs. an addiction can be as perplexing as it is overwhelming. The line that separates the two can be unclear, and habit-forming and addictive behaviours can overlap in many unexpected ways. Understanding the differences between the two can help children to make better choices and avoid losing control in a later stage of their life.

Help children to avoid enabling triggers that will tempt them to indulge in unhealthy habits. Rather, try to exchange such behaviours with comparable, but healthier habits. It can only be beneficial for children to become aware of negative, self-destructive and self-deprecating thoughts, so that they can refrain from habits/behaviours that lead to these thoughts.

A Message to Educators

As a child grows, they must make certain adjustments in various situations of life. Therefore, they must acquire various habits, knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The acquisition of all these things is called ‘learning’, and that is why Educators play such a critical role in helping children to form healthy habits. Children follow the educator’s advice more often than their parents.

Educators can help the learners in the formation of good habits by organising activities that enhance the importance of good habits.

Ultimately Educators not only guide learners in academics or extracurricular activities, but Educators are also responsible for shaping a child’s future, making them a better human being. An Educator also imparts knowledge, good values, tradition, modern-day challenges and ways to resolve them.

The development of a child’s behaviour

The term ‘habit’ is widened from the commonplace definition meaning an oft-repeated action or an established practice or custom requiring little thought (such as brushing one’s hair) to mean unconscious mental processes, revealed as behavioural tendencies and dispositions as the child engages with the events and challenges of everyday life.

In contemporary developmental psychology, children’s learning is seen as being limited only by their lack of experience and accumulated knowledge. As the child interacts within their environment in their daily lives, they see dynamic interactions between people and objects and their brains try to make meaning of it all.

Learning to learn is not a single phenomenon or skill, but a group of practices that enhance an individual’s abilities to learn. Some of this processing is conscious (mostly when unfamiliar tasks are tried) but much meta-cognitive activity happens completely without conscious awareness. Language also plays a key role, as it serves as an aid of memory.

Important learning can take place through experience and in a playful context in younger children, both in their own independent activity and through interaction with adults and peers. Another factor to consider with our modern-day society, is that childhood television viewing may contribute to the development of attention problems and suggest that the effects may be long-lasting.

 Starting habits in the Family

A wonderful way to teach a child about good habits are starting by forming healthy habits within your own family structure, by prioritising what’s important to your family.

What we teach children at home by way of repetitive learning, gradually makes them aware of established norms, customs and habits, whether it is food, the way of communicating, dealing with challenges or just living together. Creating healthy habits in children will give them security in the things they do.

Busy schedules can lead to problems, such as:

·         Fatigue

·         Burn-out and stress

·         Families spending less time together

·         Friendships being neglected

·         Letting clutter and mess pile up

·         Missing special days

·         Depression and anxiety

·         Refusing to discuss topics such as school or extracurricular activities

·         A negative change in attitude

Thinking optimistically, the best part about a bad habit is that it can be changed. Remember, that it is never a good idea to criticise a child in front of other people. Comment on a behaviour, but don’t label a child as bad.

How to build good habits in a child’s life

Good habits will help children in the future. It plays a crucial role in building up a child’s confidence and character. Teaching children to implement good habits in practical ways could be difficult, but it is not impossible. Firstly, it is important for a child to have a good role model to look up to. Set realistic expectations and strong ground rules, and allow the child to speak.

Struggling with unhealthy habits?  We can help.

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