Children Bad Habits. How To Break Them.

Humans are creatures of habit. Our behavior patterns, developed over time, “program” us to follow predictable routines everyday. Your children, too, are developing their own habits and routines - some of which may be undesirable or downright harmful. As parents, it is important for us to take an interest in our children’s habits. By understanding the nature of habits and by employing some habit-breaking strategies, you can help your child break bad habits.

At first children are quite conscious of the behaviors that they exhibit. As the behaviors continue in frequency, they become more involuntary and become habits. Habits develop due to factors including imitation, positive reinforcement, and/or anxiety or tension relief. The best tool for parents wanting their child to discontinue a habit is patience.

If parent wants the behavior to cease, the following techniques are often effective.

1) Talk Frankly With Your Child
Don’t just insist that your child discontinue the behavior. If your child is unable to see how refraining from the behavior is beneficial to him or her, your efforts will be futile. Talk about the behavior with your child and him/her why you think it should be avoided. Also let him or her know what positive things can be done to get your attention and to relieve nervous energy.

2) Use Behavior Shaping
Pick a time of the day in which the child normally would not exhibit his or her behavior and stay close by. During this period, reinforce successes and call attention to setbacks. When your child has become successful during these periods, set a new goal for a different time of day. This technique is effective in helping your child gain confidence that he or she can be successful.

3) Lead by Example
Children learn by modeling, so be sure not to engage in a behavior (smoking, for example) that you don’t want your child to imitate. You can also show how sincere you are by offering to discontinue a negative habit of your own.

4) Make a Public Commitment
Encourage your child to announce to grandparents, family friends and teachers that he or she is planning to break a habit. With support, it is always easier to resist an urge.

5) Use Positive Reinforcement
Show your appreciation for your child’s effort and determination. If your child becomes discouraged, focus on past successes. Keep any doubts and frustrations to yourself. When desired behaviors occur, immediately reward your child with praise, recognition, approval, attention or additional privileges.
  
6) Teach Your Child To Relax
Nervous habits, such as nail biting, increase under stress. Practice slow breathing exercises with your child and teach him or her to use positive self-talk whenever feelings of nervousness or stress occur.

7) Be Patient
Habits are not developed or broken overnight. Change occurs in gradual steps. Begin by aiming to reduce the number of times a habit occurs each day and then slowly progress toward extinction of the habit.

Habits aren’t called habits because we engage in them when we feel like it. Rather, they are behaviors that have a tendency to control us. Because habits are developed over time, it is important that parents are mindful of the behaviors that their children exhibit. Ignoring them won’t make undesirable behaviors go away. But if you employ the techniques listed here, you’ll be better able to equip your child with good habits and help him or her from slipping into a routine of bad ones.

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