I’ve made hundreds of decisions already today, and so have you. You just don’t remember them because they were habits. They didn’t require a lot of mental effort and stress. For example, Should I get up? . . . Now? . . . On which side of the bed? Should I take a shower? . . . Brush my teeth? . . . Which should I do first? Should I get dressed? . . . Should I start with my right foot or left foot when I put on my socks? How about breakfast? . . . Which hand should I use to eat with? . . . In which chair should I sit at the table?

We do most of those things by habit, and habits reduce stress.  The stress comes when you have to think about something—when you have to consciously make the decision.

Habits are things we find ourselves doing without consciously making a decision.  When we form good habits, our lives are less stressful.  For mothers like me, forming good habits in my children makes my life less stressful too.  That’s why I believe we need to work intentionally in teaching our children good habits.  The summer, when kids are out of school, maybe the best time.

One of the habits I’ve focused on with my children in the last few months has been to read our bible every morning.  For me, it’s an important habit I want to instill in my children.  Just as important as it is to eat a good breakfast, I believe it’s even more important for Linzey and Will to understand the importance of spiritual food.  I know the difference it makes to spend time with God and His Word before I start my day.  If I seek Him before anything else, I’m filled with more of Him and less of me.  When I choose to spend time with the Lord, He fills me with everything I need, especially wisdom and strength to get through the day.  We do most of those things by habit, and habits reduce stress.

 Charlotte Mason, was a British educator who invested her life in improving the quality of children’s education.  Her ideas led to one of the primary methods of homeschooling.  Mason believed that education was about more than training for a job, passing an exam, or getting into the right college.  She said education was an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life; it was about finding out who we were and how we fit into the world of human beings and into the universe God created.  This is what she had to say about habits.   

Remember the motto: Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life? Well, the “discipline” part is all about intentionally forming habits in our children’s lives. And those habits don’t have to be limited to brushing their teeth and making their beds. Mason outlined habits in basically five broad categories: mental, moral, decency and propriety, physical, and religious. Mason likened habits to railroad tracks. Once we lay down those rails, our children can “run on them” smoothly and with little effort or stress. And, of course, we get to reap the benefit of those  rails as well: “The mother who takes pains to endow her children with good habits secures for herself smooth and easy days; while she who lets their habits take care of themselves has a weary life of endless friction with the children.”Think about it: how would life be different if your child had the habit of obedience? or the habit of paying attention?

Along with specific suggestions for specific habits, Mason also gave some general guidelines that apply to cultivating any habit.

Be diligent to deal with any departure from the desired habit immediately. Habits are formed by consistent repetition.

Concentrate on one habit at a time, merely keeping watch over those habits already formed.

• Motivate your child with interesting and inspiring examples of people who demonstrated that habit. (Much more effective than nagging!)
• Once a habit has been started, be extra careful not to excuse a lapse in that good habit. Any break in the “repetition chain” sets you back to the beginning.
• Repeat. In other words, make it a habit to cultivate good habits in your children!

So what habits do you want to cultivate in your children?  Start now!Marissa Leinart is a homeschool mom who lives in Gilbert, AZ with her two children and husband, Bill.  You can reach her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it