Charlotte Mason Principle 7
Dear Mama,
“Education is a discipline” focuses on habit training. Charlotte believed that good habits were to be practiced thoughtfully and consistently. This includes habits of the mind, body, morals, and “mom” habits, such as putting your shoes away when you take them off.
For this reason, it is essential for us to to habit train so that we can cultivate good habit,s including habits of correct thinking and right acting. Charlotte believed that “children must do the work for themselves.”
Our routines form our habits, and our habits cultivate our character, which is embodied in our identity.
Charlotte believed the best way to habit train was to start with the big three:
* Attention
* Obedience
* Truthfulness
The key to forming good habits is by creating a system that is easy to follow, whether it's a checklist or a habit tracker.
Start by focusing on only one habit. While working on a specific habit, make small changes rather than big ones so that the task is more straightforward to accomplish.
Once that habit is more or less established, we can then move on to the next habit.
Lastly, be consistent. Consistency is the art of discipline. However, remember that when habit training, it is essential that we mothers not be overbearing. Our attitudes may actually deter our child from trying to adopt the new habit.
Charlotte believed that the outcome of habit training led to “physical fitness, morals, and manners.” She thought that the habits of a religious life would be delightful and lead to a more “godly, righteous, and sober life.”
What are some habit training tips you have to share?
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