Parents often complain that their children don’t listen to them, whether it’s brushing their teeth before bed or eating veggies! What they often overlook is that unless these little habits are instilled in children from a young age, it is very difficult for them to get into a set routine.
Reshma O Pathare lists healthy habits every parent must get their children to follow.
Parenting is a road full of stumbling blocks and one has to find a way around them. One of the biggest obstacles that parents need to surmount is to inculcate good habits in their children, But, it is a task easier said than done. “It seems, all my life as a mother is about saying, ‘no, don’t do this’ and ‘you must do this’! There is never any respite from teaching good habits to my kids; because, every facet of their lives, from their diet to understanding the value of money, warrants parental intervention,” says Manasvi Girotra, mother to nine-year old twin boys Arhaan and Avneesh.
Stressing on the importance of ‘catch them young’,
Dr Neha Patel, Consultant Psychologist, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, states, “Good habits are the foundation of our personality and childhood is the best time to develop them. Teaching and correcting a child is far more efficient as they grasp faster and their minds are innocent and pure. Later as adults, it gets difficult to change deeply-ingrained stubborn habits.”
Eating right
The tight rope walk begins with trying to get a toddler to eat right. A child grows up to be a healthy adult only if the parents guide her to make nutritious choices when she is young. Avni Kaul, Nutritionist and Founder of Nutri Activania, New Delhi, insists on parents to change their dietary habits if they want their kids to eat well. “Involve the child in shopping and cooking activities so that she may have first-hand experience of choosing the right good quality ingredients, while having the pleasure and pride in being involved in a clean home-cooked food. Keep up a dialogue about the nutritional value of certain foods; at the same time, explain why some foods are to be avoided. This works better than force-feeding.” Parents should also not overlook the fact that children have developing taste-buds that crave or reject certain things. They also suffer from undetected food allergies that may cause kids to reject certain healthy foods too. Another factor to remember is that, children are visual creatures, at least till they are around six years old. A good way to make children take to healthy food is to arrange it in attractive crockery or have food on the plate cut in interesting shapes such as stars, flowers, etc. Jasleen Kaur, Founder of Just Diet, New Delhi, reinforces this fact as she says, “Growing up, kids require all the essential nutrients and vitamins they can get. ‘Changing the form’ is a good way to inculcate habits about finishing one’s veggies or milk— the things children usually crib about. If your child hates milk, try giving it in the form of kheer or fruit custard. Vegetables can be included through parathas or cutlets. Get your child to like the food instead of avoiding it completely.”
Being active
Gadgets have become de rigueur in an urban child’s life to the extent that they almost do not know what it is to play in the open. Research has proven that too much engagement with gadgets leads to problems like ADHD, behavioural issues and obesity in young children. Dr Patel emphasises the need for limiting screen-time, implementing gadget-curfews, and monitoring what the child watches on the gadgets. He adds that engaging in outdoor activities and exercise is very important for the overall development of children, including motor and sensory development, enhancing creativity and imagination and building confidence. Dietician Niyati P Likhite from Fortis Hospital, Kalyan, adds to this saying, “Apart from a wholesome, balanced diet, parents should encourage outdoor play at least once in a day; it improves the kids’ metabolism and digestion. It helps them eat their meal better too. Encourage your child to indulge in swimming, skating, cycling, football or any other sports. Exercise helps build a strong immune system and also reduces the risk of obesity, apart from developing a stronger bone structure and muscles.”
‘Read’ing into the matter
With so many distractions on their path, it is also necessary to consciously inculcate the habit of reading (for leisure, as well as, for study purposes). Rohit Manglik, CEO of EduGorilla, Lucknow, advises getting kids hooked onto books from the age of two. “Start them off with activity books and simple story-books. As your child turns five, try giving them exciting options like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Arabian Nights’. Goad them onto books with puzzles or motivational reading as they turn seven. Arrange for a well-lit room or a corner dedicated to reading and studies. Also, motivate the child to find and use new words. It has been observed that new terms and words may act as reading repellent for children of all ages.”
The good manners' guide
Good manners build a person’s character, and children learn the golden words purely by imitation. Parents should make it a practice to say Thank You or Excuse Me to people who they meet in regular life, from an autowallah to a friend you may meet casually. Children are like sponges. They learn to imitate the tone and words of grown-ups from very early age. Harsh words, cuss words and inappropriate gestures are best curbed with children around.
The value of money
Most children do not grasp the value of money till they are well into their teens. For them, money is just something that parents dole out. But it is never too early to teach children the value of money and the importance of hard work and savings. Start by buying your child a piggy bank at the age of five, and encourage her to save all the money she gets as gifts. As for the older kids, chat with them about what a hard day you had at work and how it is necessary to work to earn money. Board games like Monopoly and Game of Life are a good investment to inculcate good monetary habits in a fun way.
Be prepared for resistance
Dr Patel cautions that ingraining good habits is never an easy task. Parents should be prepared to face resistance from their children and be resilient about not backing down. “A toddler may not understand why she is being taught to follow certain things or may just forget. Repeated reinforcement is the only way to keep up with this bracket. At around 5 years of age, a child's memory and inquisitiveness becomes stronger. These children may simply not want to follow instructions. Thus, it may help to teach them via involvement and example-setting.”
A team effort
Any activity aimed at inculcating good habits in a child is a team effort. A child can absorb good habits only if they are constantly reinforced by people around him. As much as this requires parents to be role models, the responsibility also rests with the grandparents, older siblings, other relatives and teachers. Sheela Seharawat, Founder of Diet Clinic Health Care, Delhi, avers that, “Grandparents are the biggest source of inspiration as educators due to their wealth of experience. Moreover, almost all grandparents are morally upright because they believe that they are spending the last session of their life, and they need to live a good legacy, thereby abandoning their past negative behaviour and serving as ideal human beings and role models. Also, kids are very attached to their grandparents for the love, affection and morality that they impart to them. Other relatives are a part of the family tree. When kids see their siblings and relatives enjoying healthy food they tend to mimck them. Combining family outings and get-togethers helps in developing a healthy bond and good habits." Note that it is important that discipline is consistent with all family members. If the child is tricked off by the parent for a bad habit, but a grandparent laughs it off, the child would get confused and not know what to follow.
Suffice to say, parents playing role models, keeping up a healthy communication and persevering in the face of resistance can successfully raise a child with good habits that will prove the biggest gift for his/her enriched adulthood.
