If you ask yourself, what should I teach my child, check out these 7 habits every child needs to adopt before they turn 9.
These 7 habits of successful people can truly support your child to become successful and live a prosperous life. Help your child develop positive behaviour and adopt these good habits before they turn 9. Why 9? A study of Brown University, published in the The American Journal of Family Therapy found out that habits in children, including chores, take a firm root by the age of 9.
It is never too early to start to teach habits to a toddler since children are like sponges absorbing the world around. Also, it will help you as a parent to be more aware of your own habits and behavior.
Studies have shown, that habits emerge through associative learning. Children adopt patterns of behavior that allow them to reach something they want. They repeat what works to reach their goals. When actions are repeated over and over again in a stable context, they form a habit. Research shows that it can take anywhere from 15 days to 254 days to truly form a new habit.
To quote one of the greatest Greek philosophers, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.
Thus, being positive and persistent in teaching them good habits, and at the same time setting a good example is equal to help your child to get ahead in life.
7 habits of successful people to teach your toddler every day
- Set a SMART goal, have a good plan!
- Be results-oriented.
- Manage resources wisely.
- Make healthy choices.
- Exercise.
- Communicate effectively.
- Be socially competent.
1. Set a SMART goal, have a plan
Teach your child to know exactly what they want. Help them to determine a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) goal and have a plan to achieve it.
This goes easiest with well-chosen games. To give you a simple example with one of our ball activities for toddlers – color sorting.
Aiden drags his ball basket and I am asking him what does he want to do with his balls. He starts telling me the colors of the balls – yellow, pink, red, blue, green. I put out there 5 bowls, where he can start sorting out the balls according to their color.
Thus, I try to help him to define a SMART goal and start an activity to achieve his goal:
- First, he sets a specific goal. The goal is clear and well defined – he wants to sort the balls according to their colors.
- Second, I help him set a measurable goal. Each of the 5 bowls has to be filled with balls in the same color. Subsequently, he can measure his degree of success.
- Third, he sets an attainable goal. It is easy and possible with enough concentration to achieve his goal.
- Following, he sets a relevant goal. He wants to learn and repeat colors.
- Finally, I help him set a time-bound goal. I tell him that he has 15 minutes to finish his activity before lunch. He is two years old and repeats five minutes and fifteen minutes, but he knows, that 15 minutes is pretty soon.
Finally, what was his plan to achieve his goal? To ask his parents for support. And that worked. Next time he tried by himself, once the game is determined.
2. Be results-oriented
One of the most important habits of successful people is to search constantly and proactively for the results of their actions. Teach your child to be result-oriented. Teach them, that it is important it is to check whether they have achieved their goal and how to do it.
Were all balls correctly sorted within 15 minutes? Not all really, he lost his concentration after 5 minutes and wanted to do something else. What can you do? I reminded him of his goal: I counted the balls in the bowls and he started the activity again. Finally, we sorted all balls together. Importantly, we finished the activity with the desired result. Next time, he needs to do it better by himself. Practice, practice, practice so that you become better at what you do.
3. Manage resources wisely
It is important from early on, to help your child realize, that we live in a world with limited resources. Whether it’s time, or money, or health, or energy, or food, or environment or anything else. Helping them learn how to manage resources wisely, will help them be efficient and planing long-term.
One of the most important lessons to teach them is that when we invest our time in anything, it’s lost forever. So, we need to be aware of the choices we make.
And of course, never forget to respect the environment. And their own health.
4. Make healthy choices
Eating healthy is one of the most important life skills and a good habit. Teaching your child make healthy choices for body and mind from early on is crucial. Offer them healthy food chooses since the very beginning, fresh fruit, and vegetables, oatmeal, yogurt, quality meat, and eggs.
When Aiden wants to have a small snack, for example, he has the choice between plain yogurt, apple, pear, banana, tomato, cucumber, a hard-boiled egg, orange or other seasonal fruits and vegetables. There is no unhealthy option. Every choice he can make is healthy. Doing this on a daily basis becomes a habit.
5. Exercise
Luckily, almost all children love to exercise. Help them establish a daily routine of exercise. For example, when they wake up, do a barre workout, yoga workout or an indoor basket ball with them for 10-15 minutes. They will love that and it helps you too to keep in shape.
6. Communicate effectively
We live in an era of communication. Definitely, the habit of communicating effectively is among the most important habits of successful people. Effective communication is a must for being successful whether it’s in life, or work, or relationships.
Teach them to communicate effectively, and actively listen to them.
Help them to be conscious about what they want to say and why they want to say it. Try to understand clearly the purpose and intent of their message and help them to formulate it right. Try to teach them to communicate with the right person, when they want something.
In addition, teach them how to communicate. This works best when you show them how is done. When you talk to people in front of them make eye contact and be friendly.
Teach them that communication is a two-way street. After they finish what they want to say, teach them to listen and look for feedback.
7. Be socially competent
Teach your child to get along well with other people. Help them develop as a kind person in their relationships with others. Teach them to be helpful, empathetic, cooperate with their peers and resolve arising problems on their own.
Social competence is one of the most important habits of successful people. People’s people achieve more in life and are happier.
Why good habits are so important?
Above all, good intentions and willpower are limited resources, and when they run out you can always safely fall back on your good habits, to get ahead in life.
Adopting those 7 habits of successful people will allow your child to focus their energy on achieving their dreams. Be positive and persistent in setting a good example and help your child to get ahead in life.
Happy Parenting!