Parenting is an inside out approach. Every parent wants their child to learn good habits. Every child learns from the parent. So the one line parents should remember is, “The child learns all habits from their parents directly or indirectly. This gives rise to two important questions-
How can a child learn a habit?
What is direct and indirect learning of habits?
Direct learning is imitating the parents.Indirect learning is learning through repetitions. This is an unconscious attempts by the parents. For example, the child is allowed to watch TV while eating. The intention of the parent is genuine, the child should eat properly. But unconsciously, the parent allows repetition of inattentiveness to food while eating.
Habits are learnt patterns. Parents will benefit from learning more about habits.The best point to start is Stephen Covey’s book –
THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE.
Through the 7 principles, the reader will get lots of insights. Habits are linked to experiences and emotions. Incorporating the 7 principles mentioned in the book is mindfulness in action.
