There are millions of good habits that your tween can adopt. But be mindful of the bad habits that your tween should either drop or stay away from. If you see any of the below listed bad habits, make an action plan to sweep the habit away from your tween. Know that the bad habit works as an infection - If it becomes a part of your body, it will continue to spread and even if it goes away, it will leave its footprints behind.
Being on the mobile all the time: In this digital era, it is really tough to get away from a digital screen, especially from the mobile. Our cell phones are a nest of a lot of applications that can make our brain generate a flavor of pleasure. And these pleasures are hard to resist. But the question arises here, How to get your little one distracted from the screen? You can get them indulged into various outdoor games, conversation, gardening, painting or even a dance class. Make efforts to get them enrolled in as many outdoor activities as possible.
Lack of gratitude: An article from Harvard on Psychological research states that gratitude is directly proportional to the inner happiness state. Gratitude helps in cultivating positive and motivating thoughts which can completely change the game for all of us as humans. Your tween should always be feeling thankful. Maybe for the food that they are eating or the gift they have received. Practicing gratitude is the coolest thing one can do for themselves. So if your tween is lacking gratitude and is complaining a lot, make them understand what it takes to lead a normal life and why being thankful is necessary.
Attracted to negativity: Your thoughts become things. It has been said and proved plenty of times that you attract the things you think of. People nowadays have started terming it as the manifestation and no doubt, manifestation is real. Sometimes your tween may think of the worst or something negative and if they discuss it with you, bring out the possibility of the positive thing that is hidden from their eyes. Teach them how to look at any situation with a positive outlook and keep their hopes up more than the fear they might be feeling.
Being messy: Yes, we know, we know. Even you hate your little one’s clumsy room. Those scattered puzzles, the chocolate wrappers they ate last night and their shoes lying in front of their study table. The best way to seek cleanliness from this situation is to make them understand that they are responsible for their own moods. As most of their time goes into their room and a messy room lowers down the productivity in turn affecting the sharpness of the brain. I am sure, in the world of sense 8, being slow or numb is the last thing they and your tween will do to themselves. And this will create a fear inside their brain. So they will start keeping their room clean to be in their highest productive state. Thank me later.
Playing the blame game: Tweens do understand themselves as they are wise enough to take their own decisions and they HATE reminders and suggestions. They won’t play an accountability game, actually they are experts in bringing the blame game into the picture. It is often likely for them to blame their teachers, siblings, friends, parents or pets for everything that goes wrong. And here is where you may need to encourage your adolescent to take charge of their actions and work as a manager of their own actions. How about making them understand that in their story - they can either be a villain or a hero. It depends on how they want to take it.
Being disrespectful: There may be times where you will feel something is off in your tween’s behavior or language. They can pass some rude comment or use a bad phrase. This is where you have to pick up. Tell them that their words and behavior is the image that they portray to the world. Ask them if they want to look like Prince Joffrey or Jon Snow. Analyze how your tween treats people around them. If their gestures and behavior are not appropriate make them understand what was wrong and why it was wrong.
Losing their calm: Feeling anxious and snapping at someone is the easiest thing that one can do. This includes tweens too. If your little one is short tempered and often gets irritated hence making them snap at anyone in front, then it is a wrong habit that you can help them get rid of. There is a quick fix to help your teen overcome the anxiety and gain their calmness back - ask them to meditate and calm their nerves down while being in direct contact with the ground.
Taking relations for granted: Trust me when you feel low or are having a bad time, a call with your mom can fix all your bad moods. A cooking session with your brother can make you feel so much better. We human beings are designed with emotions and showing yourself as emotionless won’t make you cool. You gotta respect the relations you have and you have to truly value them. Why? Because in your bad times, these relations are the pillars and corners you will lean your back on. If you don’t respect these relations, they won’t respect you either and you will be alone even if you are surrounded with a bunch of people. Making a schedule to pray together, eat together and clean together will surely strengthen your bond.
9. Relying on others to get their work done: Teach your tween about the power this word “Independent” holds. Sometimes, because you are so much in love with your child, you clean their room, arrange their clothes and pack their school bags. Stop doing these, right now. Prepare a chore chart, set clear rules and give them responsibility so that they can build decision making skills within themselves.
10. Always using excuses: Excuses are the easiest things to bake, but taking charge is the toughest. And when it comes to tweens, they keep making excuses every now and then. Whether it is about trying a new hobby, or stepping out of their comfort zone, they always have a back-up ready, that's an excuse. For getting this sorted, you have to help your tween in re-defining their strength, explaining to them that sky's the limit and why they should start taking responsibility for their actions.