Habit of Self discipline
Parent personal integrity check
- I have been late more than once to a meeting during past month.
- I have given a false excuse for being absent at work.
- I think that there is nothing wrong with going on facebook or chatting with my friends during office hours as long as I get my work done.
The habit of self-discipline the first key to developing good work ethic. Student who are intelligent and have good ideas but because of lack of self – discipline, they do not perform according to their potential. They are habitually late and would submit sloppy work. On the other hand, those with very good work habits or “may sipat at tiyaga”, are able to be successful despite their limitations.
Lesson from Parents – Habit of Self Discipline
Marixi Prieto
(Chairperson, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.)
Her father always emphasized that businesses should be self-sustaining, and should not be funded heavily by debt. That kind of conservatism is reflected in the family lifestyle as well. “We come from that school where we don’t look for grander things. We just work hard at what we do. We know we cannot have everything,” she says.
It was not only her father who influenced her style of business, so did her mother. “My mother ran a fantastic office. She taught us about responsibility and to rely on ourselves.” She was also a stickler for good grooming, such that marixi and her siblings are always well turned out.
How can the Habit of Self Discipline be developed?
Come on time. Say NO to the habit of “Filipino Time”. Teach kids to go to school and to submit requirements on time. Don’t be one of those parents who children use as an excuse – “Sorry for being late. My mom took so long in dressing up!”
Dress for success. Make good grooming and neatness a habit. There is no need to always have new clothes or be fashionable. But children should be asked to dress appropriately and always be well groomed.
Do your work regardless of how you feel about it. This attitude is important if you want your child to learn to be professional. Do not encourage the habit of giving EXCUSES. As professional adults, we should model going to work every morning, morning, regardless of whether we feel sleepy, lazy or tired. Do not allow your child to use the “I don’t fell well” excuse for not going to school or doing his or her work.
Do your work even when no one is looking. Children with no self-discipline will behave differently when there is no teacher or parent around. It is a joy to enter a preschool classroom and see children busy working in different learning areas, even when a teacher is not present. This means that hey have internalized the self – discipline to do their work and are no doing it simply to please their teacher, or out of fear of consequences. As a parent, teaching our kids “to choose to do what is right even when no one is looking” is a worthwhile investment because we cannot always be with them and they need to make right decisions even without us. Setting clear expectations helps children meet these even if you are not around. “Do your homework on your own and I will check it when I get home” helps your child acquire self discipline so that when she grows up she will not be one of those workers who will epitomize the saying: “Whan the cat is away, the mouse will play”.