Habit Hacking

10 Ways to Get Your Kids to Build Healthy Habits

Habits shape a person’s life. After all, much of what we do is simply a string of habits. Think of what you do on a daily basis. How many of those things are repeated every day without us even noticing? 

The reason we do this is because a habit is an efficient use of energy. Your brain forms habits to save mental effort, allowing repeated actions to become easier and more automatic. And the accumulation of these actions, whether big or small, is what creates your life. 

By prioritizing the development of healthy habits in children, we empower them to lead healthier, happier lives and set them on a path toward lifelong well-being and success.

Children who develop healthy habits are more likely to carry them into adulthood, promoting better physical, mental, and emotional health throughout their lives.

That being said, here are ten ways to get your kids to build healthy habits.

1. Create a Routine 

It will come as no surprise that to build a habit, it helps to make it part of a routine. Consistency is key when establishing a routine. Consistency helps children develop a sense of predictability and stability, making it easier for them to adapt to and follow the routine.

Every morning at 6 am, I have to give my dog his medicine. It is now something I do on autopilot because it has become a habit. To help your child build a healthy habit, make the habit part of a routine, something they need to do at the same time every day. Begin by focusing on a few key activities that are important for your child's well-being, 

For younger children, you can provide visual cues like a picture chart or a daily schedule to help them understand and follow the routine. Older children can actively participate in planning and organizing their daily activities.

The younger you start this, the easier it will be for them to continue it.

2. Habit Stacking 

Habit stacking is the process of pairing something you want to start doing with an already-established habit. For instance, if you want to start the habit of taking allergy medicine every night, you could pair it with brushing your teeth, assuming that is something you already do every night. The beauty of this hack is that you can stack as many habits as you want. 

My son calls all of his nightly habits (which include brushing his teeth, taking allergy medicine, taking out his contacts, and putting in his Invisalign and rubber bands) his “things.”  So all I have to do is say, “Did you do your things?” and he knows what he needs to do because all of these habits are stacked together. It’s a beautiful thing. 

3. Positive Associations for Good Habits 

This habit hack uses a little psychology by tying pleasure to your new habit. You attribute a certain habit to something good and then visualize the result of making this habit. For example, taking allergy medicine every day will make you not sneeze and your eyes won’t swell up. First, determine the good result from the habit (feeling healthy), then see yourself in the result (breathing easily with clear eyes), and then actually feel the result (feel yourself breathe). This will make you want to start and continue this habit. Help your child focus on what they are gaining from the new habit instead of what they are losing.

4. Negative Associations for Bad Habits  

Similarly, you can attribute something bad to a bad habit. For instance, if you want your child to stop eating candy or soda, help them attribute eating candy to low energy and rotting teeth. Then, each time they are about to eat a piece of candy, they may think twice if they think of the end result. 

5. Obstructing Bad Habits and Facilitating Good Habits  

Make a bad habit difficult. For instance, if your child always sits and plays video games at a certain time of the day, perhaps you schedule them for something else at that time. Or, if your child is constantly eating junk food, remove the junk food from your house. The idea is to make the bad habit difficult to accomplish. Set up their environment so that it is difficult for them to engage in their bad habit.

Similarly, you can set up their environment so that it's easy for them to engage in their good habit. If you want them to drink a certain amount of water each day, you can have their water bottle sitting on the counter for them to fill up each morning.

If you want to foster a love of reading in your child, consider creating a book nook for them - a cozy spot for them to read. You can add a pillow, blanket, small bookshelf, and light.

Simply think of any barrier to engaging in the good habit and remove it. Make it as easy as possible for them to take the action. 

6. Habit Chunking  

Habit chunking is the process of breaking one large habit down into smaller habits.

For instance, if your child wants to create a habit of exercising, you can help them break it down into multiple habits: (1) setting a schedule, (2) stretching, (3) warm-up activities, (4) actual workout or activity, (5) tracking progress with a record or journal, and (6) rest and recovery activities.

Encourage them to start with one chunk and then build up to the full habit of exercising. 

7. Habit Reflection  

This habit hack works by activating positive reinforcement through reflecting on your habit. By engaging in regular reflection, your child actively participates in their habit formation process, deepens their understanding of themselves, and increases their chances of successfully integrating the new habit into their life.

By consciously thinking about the habit, they strengthen the neural pathways associated with it, making it easier for their brain to remember and execute the habit in the future.

It also allows them to become more aware of their progress, challenges, and areas for improvement. It helps them recognize patterns, triggers, and behaviors that may hinder or support their habit formation. 

Finally, reflecting back on their new habit can give your child a sense of motivation and inspiration. When they see how far they've come and the positive changes the habit has brought into their life, it fuels their motivation to continue and reinforces their belief in the habit's value.

This can be accomplished by asking your child about their new habit or simply commenting on it to show them their progress. Anything that gets them to reflect on their habit will work for this hack. 

8. Habit Labeling   

This habit hack works by attaching the habit to the identity that you want to have. You do this by creating a label for your child so they can live into it and engage in the habits that are in line with that identity. 

For example, if your child wants to form the habit of getting their school binder together every night before they go to bed, give them the label of being an organized person. Look for small bits of evidence to support this identity.

It is so much harder to create and maintain a habit when you don’t identify as a person who does those things. If you identify as a person who has a habit of eating healthy food, you are less likely to eat junk food. That is why creating the identity along with the habit is so important.

9. Teach The Habit  

This concept works for more involved habits. Have your child talk to themselves as though they were teaching someone how to do what it is they are doing. 

When you teach something to others, you need to have a thorough understanding of the topic. This process requires you to delve into the subject matter, organize your thoughts, and articulate the concepts clearly.

Teaching helps solidify your knowledge and comprehension of the topic, strengthening the habit of understanding and internalizing the information.

You can also ask your child to teach YOU how to do the habit they are forming. For example, if they are trying to form the habit of making their bed, have them explain each step to you.

This process will reinforce the steps necessary to form this habit. The act of teaching engages their cognitive processes, making the information more memorable and enhancing their retention of the subject matter.

This hands-on experience further ingrains the habit and helps them internalize the skills or knowledge associated with it.

10. Habit Tracker  

This hack is super simple. Have your child create a list of their habits. Creating a list of habits will help your child become more mindful of their actions, set goals, stay accountable, track progress, and make positive changes in their lives. It empowers them to take ownership of their habits.

It can serve as a visual reminder of the commitments they have made to themselves. It also creates a sense of accountability, as they can refer to the list to track their progress and hold themselves responsible for practicing or changing their habits.

Finally, celebrating and rewarding progress becomes easier with a habit list. Your child can acknowledge their achievements as they see their habit list grow. 

You can have your child make a list of all of their habits and highlight the new ones they are working on. Then, they can hang this list in their room, and they can easily see all the habits they already have and then focus on the new ones they are creating.

Challenge:  Pick one or two of the Habit Hacks listed above to try out with your child.

If you have not already, please sign up to receive our monthly blog, where we will continue the discussion of teaching kids the power of their minds.  

And, if you enjoyed this post and feel that a friend or family member might find it helpful or inspiring, please pass it along! Sharing is a wonderful way to spread positivity and ideas that make a difference.