Evening star., 1937-04-26
Time and
Practice
Set Habit
Not Until It Is Deeply
Rooted in the Mind
Will It Serve.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

poor taste in reading? I have
given him good books. read to him,
done everything possible. and still
he will turn to the silly series. His
reading habits are certainly poor"
Another mother says, How can
I change my childs habits? He has
such bad manners. He takes huge
mouthfulS at table, he forgets to
raise his hat when he should, he asks
for things and forgets the please
have taught him better, but the
habit does not stick He goes back
TO his old ways over night"
Still another: MY daughter is
untidy about her room. She will
drop things wherever she happens
to be, and unless her attention is
called to it, lets them lie there. I
can't seem to overcome this. I have
done my best to set the habit of
neatness in her, but have failed"
Reading this you will think these
are well-grown children, of perhaps
high school age, who have carried
the carefree ways Of childhood too
long None of them is more than
10 years old. Their mothers. eager
to set good habits for life, are dis
eouraged because the children, in
spite of all their teaching and train
ing, persist in making the same FUN
bling gestures.
How old must habit be before
upon to work its way without di-
rection and impulsion from the person
concerned? How old? Sometimes it
takes a lifetime to set a habit that
controls behavior. Sometimes it takes
one experience. These are the ex-
tremes. Ordinary habits are set In
the period between birth and maturity.
The power OF repeated experience,
which is what habits are, must de-
pend upon many things-flrst and
foremost, the original inheritance and
endowment Of the child If his ma
ture is opposed from the beginning
TO the habit you would set, it is
going to take long, long time to set
it. II his nature takes kindly to the
Idea, 1t is going to be easy to set it.
Usually habit is set by long prac-
tice over period of years. Time and
practice are the essential factors in
setting any habit. 1t is certain that
many desirable habits require the
full period from birth through ado
lescence for their setting. Few worth
while habits are strong at the age
of 10. Those based upon instinct
and need usually hold by that time,
but those worthy ones that have to
do with taste. social adjustments,
correct and profitable behavior, have
to be cultivated over longer period.
Reading is first task, then habit
The sort of reading that is selected
Is matter OF taste. Taste Is cult
waited over long period, improving
BY profitable experiences. Time is
needed here.
Manners are a matter Of time and
allowed for their cultivation. They
are not instructive, but applied on
the surface of nature, and much time
and practice is needed to make them
stick.
Nea tness is a habit that Is hard
Tor some people to acquire. Some
require longer time and more prac-
tice than others, but this habit can
be set by steady teaching and ex-
ample from the beginning. A bad
start is usually at the root of un-
tidiness.
Don't be in hurry about habits.
Take your time and don't expect them
10 function automatically until time
has set them deeply in the very
fibers Of mind and body. Not until
then will they serve.
Mr.. Patr has prepared leafet
entitled, Annoying Habits" in which
he tells parents how to cope with
some of the common infantile faults
Send for it, addressing your request
TO Mr., Angelo Patri, Child Psychology
Department Of this paper, and in
close elf-addressed, stamped g.
cent? envelope.