10 Bad Habits to Break When You Have Kids

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You are your child’s best example and the good old “do as I say and not as I do” approach doesn’t really work with observant toddlers. Derek and I recently collaborated on this list after catching both him and I doing #3 constantly and reminding each other that we can’t. Without further ado, here are 10 bad habits to break when you have kids!

1. Eating on the couch in front of the TV – When you’re just a working couple, eating dinner on the couch is sometimes the only way to catch up on your favorite shows together. Yay multitasking! But once kids come, it’s not only a bad idea to watch too much TV but also to be on fabric surfaces that don’t allow for easy clean up.
2. Throwing things down the stairs. With a split level house I was guilty of sometimes throwing things down the stairs when in a cleaning mode or throwing towels down the two levels when collecting them for laundry purposes. This is NOT a good example for toddlers.
3. Opening things with your teeth. Yes not very hygienic nor good for your teeth but sometimes they were the best scissors at our disposal to open a package of fruit snacks! But once catching Brielle trying this technique I knew we had to break it asap!
4. Not wearing a jacket in colder weather. We both go most of the fall and early winter in just hoodies or fleece cover ups instead of a jacket. Or sometimes I’m so focused on the girls that I forget an extra layer for myself! But once getting to a destination and zipping up the girls in their jackets I realize how chilly the air actually is!
5. Not hanging up your jacket when you come home. I am SO guilty of this when storming into the house with a toddler and a carseat in tow. I throw everything down and move on up the stairs but it’s setting up a bad example for the girls. I’m hoping whatever solution we come up with for our lack of a mudroom will help us create better walking into the house habits.
6. Snacking when it’s not snack time. Yes, cookies out of the oven are yummy. And sure some M&Ms are great to have any time of the day. But when you don’t want to spoil your child’s dinner or give them sugar at the too close to bedtime hour, it’s important to not eat (or let them catch you eating at the very least…DADDY) these non snack time snacks.
7. Being lazy. This was Derek’s addition to the list. With an active toddler and a little baby around, you sure do miss the days of waking up on the weekend and just lounging on the couch for a few hours! Instead, we know we have to get out of the house and do some errands before we get too close to the cranky naptime zone. Our days are currently broken up into before naptime and after naptime.
8. Biting your nails. Seriously this has been on my list of things to stop doing since I was, I don’t know, ten?! But when you’re a mom it’s hard to remind them to stop putting their fingers in their mouth (which they are really past that age/stage) yet you sit there chewing on yours. (PS any tips to break this habit? Pretty sure I’ve already tried them all)
9. Standing on chairs. I’m short and have a bad habit of standing on kitchen chairs or (EEK) even climbing on the kitchen counters to get something that’s up high. Neither of these are good things to do in front of your kids as you don’t want to encourage or teach them these methods!
10. Being on your phone too much. When your toddler says to you “don’t check your phone” as we’re sitting down to play then it’s time to recognize how much you’re actually on it when around them. I’m trying to be better about picking and choosing when I have to be plugged in vs unplugged. Playdoh time = unplugged!

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