What are the best habits you've given your children?

[Boeufsurletoit]

Interested to know what are your best family habits, or the best habits and routines you've instilled in your children. How did you help them form good habits? And if you have older/adult children, which habits have stuck long-term?

All my adult DC are avid readers. I taught them all myself well before they went to school and they have all loved reading ever since.

Start paying I to their pensions as soon as they get a job and add extra before you have DC whilst you can afford the extra.

I always taught mine not to buy anything they can’t afford so now as adults they all have savings and avoid credit cards etc. I was horrified to see recently that you can actually afterpay a round of drinks in a pub and some of DD’s friends buy a lot of clothes and makeup on afterpay which has got out of hand for a few of them. Conversations about being sensible with money, making choices, waiting for things you really want etc. from a fairly young age paid off.

To hold themselves accountable and apologise if necessary. Also not to bear grudges and to accept a sincere apology.

Manners and monetary value/savings.

I work with kids and so many don't say please or thanks, ever, and it's really jarring. It's the most common courtesy.

At times we were on the bones of our arse when my DC were little, every penny counted. My dad has been working p/t for 6 months now, and at Christmas she told me she's saved half her wages each month and wants to book a girl's holiday this summer. Both kids also know how to read a shelf label in the supermarket so can see which product is better value (even if it costs slightly more).

Kindness. My DS is a very considerate lad.

Manners definitely. I hate it when people (children and adults) don't say please, thank you, excuse me etc.

I'm the same. If you can't afford to buy it outright (with the exception of student loan and mortgage on house), then you can't afford it is how I feel. This does mean that through life I've had to wait for things (I had a car much later than people who leased or financed theirs while I saved etc) but it's done me good and it's a habit we're teaching the children. DH was never on board until a few years ago when he forgot to make a payment on a credit card and it cost him. Suddenly he saw the virtue of my way of doing things.

I love all of these. The family I grew up in wasn't strong on good habits, so I feel like I'm only just establishing my own really. DC are tweens and I want to work on some more good habits with them before it's too late (if it isn't already)! I'm thinking a lot about financial habits, and good eating and exercise, getting homework done without too much prompting etc.

Critical thinking. Good decision making flows from it. If they can think and plan for themselves, they should be able to figure life out.

My two are excellent with money, I've instilled a save up then buy it mentality in them to the point where dd has 3/4 saved to buy a house outright! They call for advice on all things financial

Mine are still young but two things they do well are tidying up after themselves, even the toddler, and chucking stuff out.

I was a terrible hoarder as a child and teen, I don’t really know why, but I’m fully reformed and possibly through leading by example they’re very good at letting things go. It’s a balance between being wasteful and hoarding. They know we fix things that can be fixed so I mend clothes and stick books back together but we don’t store crap.

Please and thank you too, though I can’t think of many kids we know who aren’t good at that, and table manners! We eat at the table, use napkins, proper cutlery, make conversation over meals.

Eating meals that are mostly cooked from scratch.

Reading before bed.

Washing their hands when they come into the house.