‘Habits’ never die. If good habits are inculcated at childhood, it would remain with the person throughout life and do him and people around him a great deal of good while bad habits like smoking, drinking, stealing etc would ruin the person’s life at some point. The word ‘Habit’ itself is very peculiar. Remove ‘H’ it becomes ‘a bit’; remove ‘a’ and it becomes ‘bit’; remove ‘b’ and a word still remains.
It is, therefore, important that parents inculcate in children good habits at childhood itself. When the phone rings and if you tell your child to pick it up and say 'if it is so and so tell him that I am not at home' then how can you teach him to tell truth and be honest in life? When you bring home office stationery every now and then, how can you teach your child not to steal? When you ask your child to bring the match box to light your cigarette, can you tell him not to smoke when he grows up? Perhaps you have no moral right.
Besides advising children on morals & values, one has to be living 'example'. Life's practical lessons are the greatest education.
