5 Healthy Habits You Should Instill in Your Preschooler
Our little ones soak up everything with enthusiasm. This is apparent when they copy things we say, habits we have, and mannerisms that we use. Sometimes this copycat behavior does not seem like sincere flattery as it can expose our own flaws to us when we see our pint-sized minions doing things we know we do or say that we should not. The positive side of our little ones is that with their mimicry it can also be easy to teach them good things, after all, they do what they see. Keep that in mind so you can use it to your advantage and instill these 5 Healthy Habits in your preschooler.
- Having a schedule
As moms, we can be lax in this area but it is not to anyone’s benefit. Children function extremely well when on a schedule and knowing that life is full of them is a good thing for your preschooler to get used to. There is a time to wake, a time to sleep, a time to eat, a time to work, and a time to play. Sometimes these things change a bit, depending on the day, but overall learning that each day has a rhythm and schedule is a good thing.
- Self-care
Instill this one early, using charts, if necessary. Your preschooler should be able to self-dress, brush teeth, brush hair, and pick up dirty laundry. Often times we do not give our children enough credit for what they really can do at this age so we simply do it for them, this is a bad habit on our part as parents.
- Take care of your dishes
Have your child clear their place setting after meals. If you are concerned about breakage, make sure they have their own plastic cup/plate to use, but make them be the one to clear their setting. This is an excellent habit also for visiting others, have your child ask first, but clearing their own place setting is always a help.
- Have some down time
We live in a world that constantly tells us we need to be entertained. Allow your child time to just be still and teach them that this is a habit that should be adopted. There are times we need to remove all distractions and just allow our children to find their own thing to do; this is, of course, where some of the most imaginative play occurs when there isn’t a screen to look at, a practice to run to, or a show to watch.
- Resolve conflicts
Your preschooler is just at the cusp of learning how to appropriately solve their own problems. Often if there are issues with siblings our children need little more than to learn the habit of conflict resolution with a helpful guide. Teach your children that instead of running to mom, they need to be more in tune with working things out. You will be surprised what happens when they master this skill.
Sometimes when child rearing we don’t stop to think about the simple things we teach as being habits. They are, these skills become adapted habits and will serve our children well throughout life when they can master them.
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