If we were to uproot only one vice each year, we should soon become perfect. The contrary, however, is often the case -- we feel that we were better and purer in the first fervor of our conversion than we are after many years in the practice of our faith. Our fervor and progress ought to increase day by day; yet it is now considered noteworthy if a man can retain even a part of his first fervor.

If we did a little violence to ourselves at the start, we should afterwards be able to do all things with ease and joy. It is hard to break old habits, but harder still to go against our will.

If you do not overcome small, trifling things, how will you overcome the more difficult? Resist temptations in the beginning, and unlearn the evil habit lest perhaps, little by little, it lead to a more evil one.

One Custom Overcomes Another––But one custom overcomes another. The watchful mother sets up new tracks in other directions; and she sees to it, that while she is leading new thoughts through the new way, the old, deeply worn 'way of thinking' is quite disused. Now, the cerebrum is in a state of rapid waste and rapid growth. The new growth takes shape from the new thought: the old is lost in the steady waste, and the child is reformed, physically as well as morally and mentally. That the nervous tissue of the cerebrum should be thus the instrument of the mind need not surprise us when we think how the muscles and joints of the tumbler, the vocal organs of the singer, the finger-ends of the watchmaker; the palate of the tea-taster, grow to the uses they are steadily put to; and, much more, both in the case of the brain and all other organs, grow to the uses they are earliest put to.

This meets in a wonderful way the case of the parent who sets himself to cure a moral failing. He sets up the course of new thoughts, and hinders those of the past, until the new thoughts shall have become automatic and run of their own accord. All the time a sort of disintegration is going on in the place that held the disused thoughts; and here is the parent's advantage. If the boy return (as, from inherited tendency, he still may do) to his old habits of thought, behold, there is no more place for them in his physical being; to make a new place is a work of time, and in this work the parent can overtake and hinder him without much effort

Now -- I just need someone to train me to "change my tracks", or I need to get rid of my own vices first.   I do see the benefit of overcoming the little things in my children, before they become deep rooted habits, or ways of life.  Is it just repeating over and over, let's do it this way.  Practice, practice, practice... even if it is closing a door when you come inside. I think repetition is key in some ways  of learning.  It is found to be true in all ways? 

How about screaming at a brother.  "We don't scream here, why don't you try saying, please give that back."  Then have them say it over and over again in a gentle tone, until we tire of it...and perhaps it will click the next time they scream and they'll stop mid-scream, or even remember when they get the urge to scream? 

Or cleaning the bedroom. Each day before they come down for breakfast.  Bed must be made, and dirty clothes put away.  What happens when they "forget"?  Which I don't think it is forgetting... I think it's laziness... seeing if they can get away with it today.  Go back up and do it before you eat -- but actually since you came down with it undone... no breakfast.  How do you do that over and over again?  Just remembering to check each day?  And no breakfast for a week, if that is how long it takes them to "remember" to do it? 

Then I need to be checking on people times 5.  I'm not that consistent.  That is one reason why we seem more lenient with the youngers. I had time, patience, resources, to check and re check on 1 or 2 children.  Now I have to check on 4, and do the rest for #5.  It would be nice if I could let everything else go while I was doing the checking... but then dear husband walks in and its all a mess... but I should be able to say, "But look -- we developed a habit of having a clean bedroom before breakfast." 

OK -- I'm open to suggestions here.  I really do believe in what KEMPIS and MASON have to say, but now when the rubber meets the road.  How do I put that into practice?  How to I apply that?

Speaking of "learning new tracks"... anyone figure out how to read their friends blogs with out click on each and every name?  I tried that yesterday -- thinking I could subscribe to them and read them on my Google page.... but I don't see any way to do that.  Are the RSS shut off of everyone's?    HELP!!!  I don't like change. ha ha LOL