The Way of the WillI was recently talking with a group of parents, and in the course of our time together, I mentioned how important it is to make sure our young adults know how the will works. Well, all of the parents in…Sonya ShaferSeptember 3, 201916 Comments
Working On Best Effort During the SummerWe talked last time about how the summer months can be a great time to give focused effort in habit-training, even if you’re taking that time off from schoolwork. Especially if you’re taking that time off from schoolwork! When you…Sonya ShaferJuly 9, 20193 Comments
Working On Attention During the SummerWhen I was a girl, I took piano lessons. I would practice diligently during the school year, but my teacher always gave her students the summer off. So I got used to not practicing during the summer months. Later, in…Sonya ShaferJuly 2, 20193 Comments
5 Life Habits Built Into a Charlotte Mason EducationWe all want to instill good habits in our children, from the time they are toddlers through the time they move out to start their own households. We often think of habit training as something we do on the side.…Sonya ShaferApril 3, 201910 Comments
God and Habit-TrainingIn Charlotte Mason circles, we talk a lot about habits: how God made our brains to form habits automatically through repetition; what kinds of motivation work best; how long it takes to form a good habit; how to replace a…Sonya ShaferNovember 19, 20185 Comments
Top Three Habits for a Homeschool MomI was chatting with a young mom today about habit training, and she asked a great question. We had talked about how important it is to have living examples for our children to see and spend time with as they…Sonya ShaferMarch 20, 201823 Comments
You Move Toward What You Focus OnWhen we lived near Chicago, my husband John rode his bike for long treks in all kinds of weather. He liked to take the roads that led out of our suburb and into relatively undeveloped country, because they were less…Sonya ShaferMarch 6, 2018
Becoming a Gandy Dancer: Habit-Training, part 9Do you remember what a “gandy dancer” is? Way back in the first post of this series we mentioned that “gandy dancer” was the nickname that was given to early railroad workers who laid and maintained the tracks. Parents are…Sonya ShaferAugust 16, 2016
Parents Ease the Transition: Habit-Training, part 8One of the best gifts you can give your child is to help him become a person of excellent character. That is what habit-training can do: mold a child’s character. “ ‘Sow a habit, reap a character’; that is, the…Sonya ShaferAugust 10, 2016
Parents Give an Endowment: Habit-Training, part 7The good habits you instill in your child’s life are an endowment. There is a subtle difference between an endowment and an investment. Habit-training yourself is an investment with a large return. An investment is something you usually do for…Sonya ShaferJuly 13, 2016
Parents Support the Will: Habit-Training, part 6All of the things we have discussed over the past few weeks on habit-training—taking on the effort of decision, spotlighting the trigger, and adjusting the consequences—are ways to help support your child’s Will. Habit-training yourself depends on a strong Will…Sonya ShaferJuly 5, 2016
Parents Adjust the Consequences: Habit-Training, part 5Habits have consequences. It is a fact of life that we witness every day. If you have a habit of doing the laundry regularly, you will have clean clothes to wear. If you have a habit of saving money from…Sonya ShaferJune 29, 20161 Comment
Don’t Become the Trigger: Habit-Training, part 4We talked last time about the importance of having a trigger that will prompt you to do the desired habit every time. Adults usually have to come up with triggers for themselves, but parents can help their children by spotlighting…Sonya ShaferJune 21, 20164 Comments
Parents Spotlight the Trigger: Habit-Training, part 3Whether you are instilling a new habit in your own life or in your child’s life, you need to make the initial decisions about which habit you want to work on, what it will look like, whether you need to…Sonya ShaferJune 15, 20161 Comment
Parents Take On the Effort of Decision: Habit-Training, part 2As we discussed last week, in many ways your job of cultivating good habits in your child is just like cultivating them in your own life. Most of the principles and practical steps are similar. But there are also some…Sonya ShaferJune 8, 2016
