We all know too well that children begin developing good or bad habits from the very beginning. The very first classroom they attend is actually your home and as parents, you are their teacher. It may be an overwhelming thought because you are responsible for shaping someone’s mind and character. It will take time but the sooner you begin to train their minds, the less worry you will have in the future. In this blog, we will be talking about neatness and order.
I can say that children mirror their parents because certain habits I developed came from watching how my parents interacted with their environment. For example, my mom liked to keep things clean as much as possible. We always had a small home but she always found ways to keep things in order and clean. By watching her, I grew up wanting to keep my room clean and neat. I would always find ways to organize my things. Now that I’m an adult I can only work stress-free when my room or home is clean. I enjoy cleaning and keeping things organized and this love for keeping things in order can actually be developed over time.
Encourage your children to help in the house. If they have a room of their own, show them what “clean” and “organized” means to you. Make it a joy to do chores. How? You always have to be the example. Don’t complain about cleaning. Instead, show them the benefits of cleaning. It impacts your productivity and stress levels. It helps to develop healthy habits. Cleanliness should not be a burden, but instead, let it become a positive habit that will impact other areas of life. Besides helping them with keeping things organized, keep them on a healthy schedule.
Sleep is important, and I don’t think there is someone who dislikes it. Getting the proper amount of sleep is important because it will impact your day, and as adults, we know this has never been more true. I have seen new parents allow their newborn to eat or sleep whenever and wherever. This can cause many issues since the parent will always have their guard up and this can be exhausting.
However, if you have a newborn, it is possible to follow a schedule. It will take time to figure this out, but the more you get to know your baby, the easier it will be to map out a schedule. This helps the child’s body to adapt to a routine. The routine can be adjusted as they grow and as their needs increase or decrease. It is beneficial to show your children how to map out a schedule. This keeps their minds and body at work. It is important to set goals so they have something to look forward to and at the same time, they learn the value of a good work ethic. Train them to see that the morning should not be wasted on staying in bed. The night is for resting and the morning is a time to accomplish the tasks already set for the day. It will be a struggle to teach them how to stay on schedule, but in the end, they will grow up to be adults who are ready to tackle the day and be intrinsically motivated to be productive, even when mom or dad aren’t around.
It is harder to bend an old tree, so it is always the best decision to train your child when they are young. Their brains can be easily influenced and this is a good time to demonstrate life skills. Though genes do play a role in forming the character, creating a certain type of environment equally plays a role. I highly encourage you to familiarize yourself in the area of neuroplasticity.
Research shows how a child’s brain develops under certain circumstances. An article by Kolb and Gibb (2011) talk about neuroplasticity and factors affecting it. They state, “The development of the brain reflects more than the simple unfolding of a genetic blueprint but rather reflects a complex dance of genetic and experiential factors that shape the emerging brain.”
You may not have the power to control which genetics your child inherits, but you are capable of creating those experiential factors. Don’t be afraid to start creating a safer environment now. Provide those tools now and they will certainly thank you later, just as I am thankful for the values my parents taught me.
References Kolb, B., & Gibb, R. (2011, November). Brain plasticity and behaviour in the developing brain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222570/
Written By Teresa Alberto
Droolees Ed Team Blog Contributor
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