January 2024

How to Help Kids Form Good Habits

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The Kids Mental Health Foundation Behavioral Health Experts

Article Summary

 
Healthy habits play a positive role when it comes to our mental health. Our experts help you use the 3R's, reminder, routine and reward, to form them.
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What are some examples of a habit? It can be as simple as your morning routine. Things like:
  • Brush teeth
  • Get dressed
  • Eat breakfast
  • Let the dog out
  • Get your backpack/purse/work bag

How Can You Help Kids Form Good Habits?

Follow the 3 R’s – and remember to start easy and make small steps toward the goal!

  • Reminder (the trigger to start the action)
    • Make it visual.
    • A calendar or checklist works great. Put it on the fridge or in their room.
    • Parents will need to give reminders at the start.
  • Routine (the action you want to take)
    • Make sure kids know specifically what they are expected to do.
    • Practice together.
    • Make sure they are capable.
  • Reward (what you get for doing the action)
    • Have the new behavior be rewarding to your child.
    • Offer something special when the new routine is completed.
    • This should be small, but meaningful:
      • 2 pieces of small candy
      • Extra screen time (10 minutes or so)
      • Penny in the jar to earn something bigger at the end of the week

Practice Example: Home Learning

Here’s an example of how you can build a new daily routine for home learning.

  • Reminders
    • Make a daily checklist of activities that need to be completed.
    • Print out or draw (get the kids involved too).
    • Post it somewhere obvious.
    • Provide verbal cues about what is next and what has been completed.
  • Routine
    • Specify what each activity means throughout the day:
      • Cell phones put away unless being used for learning activity.
      • 30 minutes on math means complete your daily worksheets.
      • Study sight words for 15 minutes.
      • Log in for virtual classroom at 10:55 a.m.
      • Take a break from 10 to 10:30 a.m. for free time.
  • Reward
    • Offer both short-term and longer-term rewards.
    • A 30-minute free time break can be part of the reward.
    • Older kids might get access to their phones periodically during the school day.

How Can I Help My Kid Break a Bad Habit?

To break a bad habit, the process is like forming a new habit – but in reverse!

  • Remove the reminder
    • Put the tablet or TV remote in a cupboard
  • Break the routine (make it difficult to do so!)
    • Move the tablet or TV remote to a different area of the house
  • Remove the reward (don’t reward the behavior)
    • Only allow kids to watch programming you approve of so they don’t get the reward of watching their favorite show every time they sit down.

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