How to Make Habit Training Intentional in Your Homeschool

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Habit training was an entirely foreign concept to me until recent months.

Well…the term “habit training” was anyway.

In reality, habit training is exactly what I wanted to do with my children but I couldn’t really put it into words.

In all fairness, habit training doesn’t have the best ring to it in my opinion but it is something so important and overlooked by many a parent.

This post will go over what habit training is and how you can make it an intentional part of your homeschool.

What is Habit Training?

Before we go on, let’s discuss the definition of habit training.

Quite simply it is working on creating a habit.

“What you would have the man become, that you must train the child to be” (Vol. 2, p. 15).

~ Charlotte Mason

Wholesome character is not born out of chance. It takes effort and many times that effort lies largely on the shoulders of parents.

You could also refer to habit training as character training.

It involves teaching your child to form certain habits that will help them to do the right thing as they grow older.

Why Is Habit Training Important?

Your child will develop habits one way or another. What those habits are will depend on what you allow them to be.

Your child may develop a habit of being untidy if not taught to pick up after themselves.

They could develop the habit of poor personal hygiene if they’re not taught to care for their bodies properly.

Gluttony, lying, unkindness…they’re all things that can become habits if not worked against.

Habit training is important because it will help your child to choose the right thing and do the hard things without wrestling in their mind about it so much.

Thing about it, once you form a habit you almost don’t have to think about completing the action.

That can be applied to both good and bad habits.

If your child has formed good habits then it will make both their life and your life that much easier.

Obedience, truthfulness, and kindness are things that will only help your child in the long run.

Hence why habit training is so vital.

Simply Charlotte Mason Laying Down the Rails Review

While many parents (myself included) want to work on habit training with their children, it can be hard to do when life is so busy.

Some parents like to have things laid out in black and white so that there are some steps to follow.

Its not that they can’t think for themselves, only that it helps them be a lot more intentional.

Here’s where Laying Down the Rails by Simply Charlotte Mason comes in.

Homeschooling is simply an extention of your parenting, so it makes sense that character and habit development fit right into it.

In fact, it could be argued that character development and relationships should come before academics.

That’s why Laying Down the Rails is a perfect answer.

It will allow you to bring habit training into your homeschool in a gentle yet intentional way.

How Does Laying Down the Rails Work?

Laying Down the Rails comes in two parts. There’s the parent’s book which is a compilation of all of Charlotte Mason’s writings about the different habits.

The second part is the 2-part workbook which contains the habit training lessons.

You could technically do the workbook without the parents book, but I highly recommend getting both so that you get a deeper understanding of each habit.

I love that Simply Charlotte Mason offers these books in both physical and PDF format.

I live internationally and therefore it was much more cost-effective for me to print them using my Epson Ecotank printer (a homeschool must have!) and bound them with the Trubind S20a.

All the habits are broken down into their own sections and it is suggested that you complete about 2 lessons per week.

You’ll focus on one habit for around 6 weeks.

At the beginning of the habit study, there’s a place for you to record your goals, outside teaching materials, and ways to celebrate as a family after completing the study.

The lessons are short and can be done in family style.

My children are 5, 3.5, and 19 months. My youngest doesn’t do school with us yet, but I’ve been implementing Laying Down the Rails with my older two.

There are upwards of 50 habits to get through, so this is something you can do right through your child’s school life.

Pros of Laying Down the Rails

I’ve loved how gentle and short the lessons are. They don’t often take us more than 10 minutes.

It is an intentional way of opening discussion about certain habits to work on without it seeming forced.

While these lessons in an of themself aren’t going to build character in your child, they do help you to be a lot more aware of teachable moments throughout your day.

I’ve also found that it’s helped me to be a lot more accountable about my laziness around consistency teaching my children good habits.

After all, we shouldn’t be expecting more from them than we do of ourselves.

Laying Down the Rails is wonderful in that it works for the entire family and has a huge amount of flexibility to it.

You can make the lessons work for you and your children.

I also love that you can hone in on specific habits that your child might be struggling with. However, it doesn’t come across as accusitory or harsh.

Instead, it is encouraging and open about how important the habits are.

Finally, what I truly love the most is that it focuses on teaching your child to do the right thing because it is right, not just because they’re obliged to.

As a mom, I don’t want my children to be raised as little robots.

They need to be able to be faced with choices and have a strong enough character to choose right even when it’s hard.

I don’t want them to be doing things only because I said so.

I personally feel as though Laying Down the Rails helps to teach discipline while also showing a great amount of respect to the child.

Cons of Laying Down the Rails

I’ve loved using Laying Down the Rails and so any cons were honestly difficult to find.

If there are any it would simply be that if you’re not a person of faith, you may not love this curriculum.

There is are a lot of Biblical references and therefore it may not be a great fit.

Secondly, it is based on the Charlotte Mason method of education.

If you’re looking for something with lots of worksheets and drilling then this is not it.

Laying Down the Rails is more of a conversation starter.

There is literature involved, but it is primarily there to spark conversation between you and your child.

Conclusion

Laying Down the Rails is a perfect resource for parents looking to be intentional about habit training.

While it fits in beautifully with homeschooling, it is not limited to that at all.

In fact, I’ve recommended Laying Down the Rails to several of my non-homeschooling friends.

The lessons are short enough and flexible enough to make it work for many family situations.

I’ve loved the intentionality that it has brought to my parenting in regard to being more aware of what habits I’m consistently working on with my children.

It has taken much of the chaos from my mind and given me some step-by-step actions that have simplified things for me.

I would highly recommend it and believe it will benefit every child.