The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. 

-Mark Van Doren

I have found developing good habits is my best way to avoid the traps of enemies (discouragement, depressions, over-whelming-ness…).   But it does take time and effort.  However, the benefits far outweigh the effort.

 

Teach your child (slowly and overtime) to start their day as a creature of habit.  Get up, make your bed, get dressed, groom, feed the pet...  Approached each task separately and give each a season to be established (unrealistic expectations only opens a door for the enemy to enter).

 

We have been using this approach since I can remember (my daughter is now twelve and we are still working on areas).  Remember to break each expectation into steps.  Show your child how to make the bed, tuck the corners in, how to put a new pillowcase on.  When I taught my daughter to clean her own bathroom we started with the sink.  I showed her how to clean around the faucet, the drain, what to use and how to use it.  We started this at about age 5 and now at twelve on our bathroom-cleaning day, my daughter’s bathroom will many times outshine her dads and mine.

 

Developing habits saves so much time and energy each day (especially important when energy is in limited supply) and how nice not to have to be on top of our children from sunup to sunset! 

 

You can use this same approach with blocks of time each day.  Quiet Reading, or for the very young, looking through wonderful books.  

 

Quiet Time - here is a journal that helped me in helping my daughter develop her own Quiet-Time.

 

The habit of making wise, productive choices during Free Time and Play Time -can be developed by making charts/list with your children.  Remember that these list may change as you and your children move into new seasons.  Our Free-Times list is extensive, as I have prayerfully sought to see value and purpose in what others may view only as play.

 

Table Time - Roxanne knows that everyday (yes there are exceptions) we will spend a short time doing either math, language…depending on the season. Knowing this helps avoid the trap of murmuring or grumbling.

 

It is a simple thing to say, “develop habits”, but how much less chaotic is our life and how much more is done with little or no effort from ourselves when we take the time to do so.

 

May God bless you mightily!

Cindy

2001