Habit training is a hallmark of the Charlotte Mason educational philosophy. But what exactly is habit training? And how do mothers put it to work in their home school rooms?

Miss Mason encourages and cautions us with this second tool of education…because we are always forming habits in our children (whether we are doing it knowingly, or accidentally). No matter what, our atmosphere, home routines, and expectations for our children paint them a picture of the good life, and how that good life is lived out. So if that’s the case…how do we make sure the habits we’re forming in our children are ones worth forming?

Books Mentioned: Home Education | Parents and Children | A Philosophy of Education

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COMMONPLACE:

There are but three left for our use and to each of these we must give careful study or we shall not realise how great a scope is left to us. Seeing that we are limited by the respect due to the personality of children we can allow ourselves but three educational instruments––the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit and the presentation of living ideas. Our motto is,––'Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” (Philosophy of Education, pg. 94)

“Every day, every hour, the parents are either passively or actively forming those habits in their children upon which, more than upon anything else, future character and conduct depend.” (Home Education, pg. 118)

To form a good habit is the work of a few weeks; to guard it is a work of incessant, but by no means anxious care. (Home Education, pg. 121)

We entertain the idea which gives birth to the act and the act repeated again and again becomes the habit; 'Sow an act,' we are told, 'reap a habit.' 'Sow a habit, reap a character.' But we must go a step further back, we must sow the idea or notion which makes the act worth while. It is possible to sow a great idea lightly and casually and perhaps this sort of sowing should be rare and casual because if a child detect a definite purpose in his mentor he is apt to stiffen himself against it. (A Philosophy of Education, pg. 102)

“doing no more than keep watch over those already formed. If she be appalled by the thought of overmuch labour, let her limit the number of good habits she will lay herself out to form.” (Home Education, pg. 136)