How to teach good habits to kindergarten

Teaching good habits to a child

Good habits help to develop a child’s life skills. So, it is very important for parents and teachers to teach good habits to children. You need to inculcate the good habits in children when they are a very young age. Teaching good habits to kindergarten children can be done in schools and at home.

Learning good habits develops the child’s personality. It also helps them to take decisions independently. Teaching good habits and manners at home is very important. So, now your question would be “how to teach good habits and good manners to kindergarten?”.

How to help your kids develop good habits?

Good Habits are the foundation for the child’s behavior. It helps to balance their emotions. You can easily mold the child when they are young. The 10 important good habits for children are:

1. Early to bed and early to rise

It is the first and most important life skill. As a parent, we ourself are not following the "early to bed and early to rise" habit. It completely affects our lifestyle and health. When you sleep early, it keeps your body and mind refreshed. When the child sleeps at night early, they feel fresh throughout the day. This good habit makes the child healthy and wise.

2. Healthy eating habits

The next important good habit is healthy food habits. It helps the child to have healthy physical and mental health. You need to teach them that junk foods are unhealthy. The child will understand when you explain "why the junk foods are not healthy?". Instead of saying no to junk foods. Tell them the reasons behind it. Healthy eating habits avoid serious health problems. 

You can teach this good habit by telling the importance of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. You can select a fruit/vegetable per week and explain the importance of it in an attractive way. So, that the kids love to listen and follow these healthy eating good habits. 

3. No screen time/ Limited screen time

Most of the children in this generation are living in the digital world. Even, they attend the classes through digital gadgets. When the child gets addicted to electronic gadgets, it makes them more adamant and aggressive. 

It is advisable to avoid screen time completely. When you play with the child, then they do not need the screen time. Make a schedule for half an hour or 1 hour depends on your availability and play with your child. You need to avoid screen time by involving them in various water and color-based activities. You need to teach them the impact of digital gadgets while you are playing with them.

I personally give 10 minutes of screen time to my child. I always tell them that "using mobile phones or watching television makes us a weaker person". And also, I will tell them that" I trust you my dear that you will not use more than 10 minutes of time". The child doesn't want to break the trust so they do not use the gadgets for more than 10 minutes. The "no or limited screen time" is an important good habit.

4. Exercise every day

Physical activity helps in the development of motor skills, and social skills. The child should play at least for an hour daily. Due to the current pandemic situation, the children are not able to run and play outside. So, it is important to do exercise daily at least for an hour per day.

The kids can learn this good habit only when you follow it. So, we need to do exercise daily in order to make the child understand the importance of physical activity.

5. Clean up the toys after playing

Clean up is an important life skill. The cleaning up good habit creates responsibility in children. The child needs to clean up after eating or playing.

You can explain to them "why you are cleaning the space after cooking" or "why you clean up the house after a mess?". So, the child can understand why cleaning is important. Encourage the child and make them clean up by singing a rhyme or by praising them.

I always tell to my child that it is our home and it is our duty to keep it clean. I schedule the time for cleaning up the toys so the kids create the mess and clean up the toys by themselves.

6. Be polite and kind

The child learns from the parent. So, to inculcate this good habit, we need to be polite to them. Sometimes, we might raise our voices to the children when they do tantrums. Gentle parenting helps the children to be polite and kind.

7. Respect everyone

This is the most important life skill. You need to teach them to respect everyone irrespective of age, gender, race, and so on. Your child becomes a socially responsible person when they have this good habit.

8. Help with chores

The child should learn to help their parents with chores. You need to call them and ask them to do some little help. You need to appreciate their work with your love. So that, it can become their habit. 

9. Sharing

This good habit helps the child to be social with others. Sharing helps to manage their emotions. You can teach sharing even when a child is 1 year old. The children need to share with their parents. You can ask them to share their toys or candies with you. So that, they can develop the sharing habit and share with their siblings and friends.

10. Throw the waste into the dustbin

You need to teach this habit when they are very young. When you go to any public place, tell the child to throw the wase into the dustbin. Encourage and appreciate the child when the child does it.

Final Note

Parents are the mirror for the children. So, we need to change our habits to make the child follow the good habits. If you don't use the mobile phone in front of them, then the child never asks for the phone. If we talk in low tone, then definitely the child will speak politely. 

Love and hugs are powerful tools to inculcate good habits in children. When the child shows tantrums, You need to hug them and ask about their need. "Good habits and Good manners" should be taught to kindergarten children. Good habits are the foundation for the child's life. 'Momovators' is all about parenting, education, health, and fitness.