It is said that once a person repeats an action thirty times, it becomes a habit and something one does unconsciously. We all have habits whether it be chewing on a pencil like one third grader, or reading for too long before bedtime like one fourth grader said. Either way, good or bad, habits can get annoying. The worst part about this, of course, is the habit is usually more annoying to those around us than to ourselves.

Habits also come in many shapes, sizes, forms and levels of annoyance. Most sneak up on you and catch you when you least expect it! While you think you may be diligently getting your homework done, your habit has taken over your mind and body. You don’t even realize you’re twirling your hair around your finger to the point where a strand is sticking straight out, giving you (and your classmates) a bad hair day to remember.

Ranging from twirling hair, chewing gum, watching too much TV and video games, and chewing nails, these students have shared some of their annoying, yet remarkable, habits.

Elizabeth Bass
age 10, grade 5
Loyola Catholic
My worst bad habit is not getting my school work and chores done on time. My mother has to always bug me to make sure I get it all done. I normally don’t do my chores and homework before I go out and play with my neighbor friends. That is all changing now because my parents won’t allow me to play until they have looked at my assignment notebook from school and made sure I have picked up what I am supposed to. I am hoping to change my bad habit by Halloween time.

Tyler Gustafson
age 13, grade 7
Madelia
My worst habit is eating sweets. The reason why it’s so hard to break is because of sugar.

Think about this. You walk into a grocery store or gas station and what does everyone have? Candy bars. Basically any store with food has candy bars. Next, you have brownies. Basically every sporting event’s concessions have brownies. Then, in grocery stores, there are aisles that have tons of different kinds of brownies. Then there’s ice cream to go with brownies. And then any store with food has ice cream because everybody likes ice cream. And ice cream comes in tons of good flavors. Then pie goes with ice cream and you have ice cream socials and pie sales. Next comes fudge, which is good year-round because it’s chocolate. Finally, there are cookies. They are the best part. Where can’t you find cookies? They’re everywhere. Every restaurant you go to, they ask, “Would you like dessert?” at the end so you say “Yes.”

Oscar Garcia
age 13, grade 7
Good Shepherd Lutheran
My worst habit of all for me is I can’t stop moving. I can’t stay still for a while. I always want to run around. But I figured out a way to quit by just shaking my foot.

Leanna Matzke
age 10, grade 5
Immanuel Lutheran
My worst habit is getting dirty. If I wanted to stop it, I would have to not go outside because I live on a farm and there tends to be dirt and mud. And that is where I usually go on the farm. It just rained so that means more mud outside. So now I definitely can’t go outside for a week.

Gabrielle Robinson
age 10, grade 4
Le Center Elementary
My dad has a bad habit of chewing tabacco. He gets angry if he doesn’t have any. It is a bad habit because he can’t stop using it.

Isaac Lager
age 12, grade 7
St. Peter Lutheran
My bad is that I like to draw. During school I always draw once my work is done, and it makes the day go by faster. But, my parents think that I rush through everything so that I can draw, even though I don’t. I guess it would be easy to say I draw too much or draw a lot, but I do it because it’s fun. I have been trying to break the habit by reading, or working ahead in schoool work, but it isn’t working out that well. I ended up being able to stop drawing altogether for about...two or three days.

Ethan Schultz
age 13, grade 7
Grace Christian
My worst bad habit makes people disgusted. Some people get angry. It can annoy people out of their minds. I’m telling you the truth. My siblings beat me. They claw and scratch and bite. It makes my parents angry when I do it watching TV. Sometimes they can even ground me for just doing one thing. They come unleashed like an angry dog when I do it at the dinner table. My worst bad habit is ... wait, I’m not done yet. They go completely insane when my brothers do it, too. I may not know it when I’m doing it, but they definitely will; they notice everything. You have probably already guessed, but I will tell you anyway. My worst bad habit is picking my nose.

Spencer Urban
age 9, grade 4
Maple River West
My worst habit is playing too many video games. One time I played from 1 to 4 without stopping. It is so hard to break because the games I play are hard and fun. I am trying to read more to maybe break my habit.

Jacob Helmstetter
age 13, grade 8
Martin County West
You see it in sports, on TV, pretty much anywhere it can happen. It’s bragging and everyone does it. I don’t know a single person that doesn’t. Bragging, boasting or whatever you want to call it, they all have the same meaning.

If you get into the habit of bragging, it can be hard to stop, so the best thing to do is never to do it. Much easier said than done, right? Most people who brag too often are those who are good at a lot of things, or they just like to talk a lot about themselves, or both. And most people do not even realize they are doing it. So, if they are bothering you from bragging, tell them to please stop. And recognize the word “please.” It can be a savior from hurting someone’s feelings, especially when used with a calm and caring voice.

Sometimes bragging can make you feel better about yourself, but, at the expense of hurting someone’s feelings. Not every time, but, it can be a misinterpretation that you are trying to make fun of them. Most people do not want to make fun, or cause any type of pain to the other person. So, don’t brag. It’s as simple as that.

Cole Dressel
age 5, grade K
Risen Savior Lutheran
Sometimes I don’t listen because my ears are tired.

Alex Sieberg
age 9, grade 3
Trinity Lutheran
My worst bad habit is talking. I repeat, peat and repeat. My mom says I talk too much.

Why is it such a bad habit? Let’s just say it’s annoying to others. It may give others a headache.

I could train my dog to bark if I’m talking too much. Or put a piece of duct tape over my mouth.

If I don’t stop talking, I might lose my voice and that will not be cool for me.

My worst bad habit is talking too much. I will lose my voice if I talk too much.

Daniel Guild
age 9, grade 4
All Saints Catholic
I have a bad habit and that is shaking my pencil when I am in class, and I am waiting for the next question from my teacher. I notice I do it a lot and I want to not do it as much. It is bad because it leaves marks on my paper and I have to erase. This slows me down in getting my word done.

If the pencil hits me, it can hurt and, if I have a bruise, it would hurt me a lot. Another reason is that it could fly out of my hand and that would get me in trouble. It can distract someone when it hits something and that could get someone mad at me.

It is something that I do every day. I want to not do it that often. Maybe I could do it only once very other day.

Glory Schettler
age 11, grade 6
St. Peter Lutheran
My worst bad habit is interrupting when people are talking. It is so hard to break! If I have something really exciting to say to my mom or dad, and my siblings are already talking, I just can’t keep it to myself! If I start interrupting, my parents scold me and my siblings yell at me. I need patience to break this habit, and I’m trying really hard.

Lauren Ward
age 13, grade 8
Grace Christian
My most detrimental bad habit is probably impulsiveness. Regret is one of the worst feelings in the world, and I seem to experience it quite often when I say something without thinking or act on an assumption. Impulsiveness is a very easy way to hurt others’ feelings when I blurt out something that is on my mind without thinking about how it would affect my peers. My opinions might offend or hurt the people around me, and, because of my oblivion, I unintentionally insult. Although I have many bad habits, acting or saying things without thinking is probably the most dangerous, since impulsiveness could get me into trouble now and in the future with my friends and superiors. This habit is so hard to break because it is very difficult to think before every action or word. It takes great discipline to break this compulsion. Impulsiveness is a very ensnaring habit which must be broken by choice at every moment.

Michael Larson
age 9, grade 4
Maple River West
My worst bad habit would be tripping. I am always tripping on stuff. Maybe you don’t see me tripping, but I always trip on stuff. Like stubbing my toe. I always stub my toe. At the store, I am always tripping on my dad and my mom. When I am on the playground, I always trip on the cracks on the playground and fall off. So I cannot break it because it always happens. I wish I could break it, but it is so hard to break the tripping habit. I try to break it but the only way to break it is to look and watch where I am going. I try to watch, then something catches my eye.

Jon Sabaka
age 11, grade 6
Loyola Catholic
My worst bad habit is that I talk a lot. This habit is hard to break because the teacher tells me to be quiet sometimes. I get in trouble a lot for talking. Once I got up in the middle of class and blurted something out. I talk a lot because I am the class clown.

Justin Hanel
age 10, grade 5
Immanuel Lutheran
My bad habit is procrastinating. I always procrastinate, like, when I was writing this, I did. I wish I could stop procrastinating. I can’t break it because I love doing things other than work.

Jake Grunewald
age 13, grade 8
Risen Savior Lutheran
I am very good at procrastination. I am also forgetful. That’s a lethal combination. I will procrastinate for days, but when I need to be working on whatever it is I should be working on, I’ll forget about it.

I’m not always forgetting, though. Nor am I constantly procrastinating. Sometimes, though, something will pop up and, 10 minutes before it’s due, I’ll remember.

Shane Price
age 13, grade 7
Loyola Catholic
My worst habit is talking with my mouth full. This habit is hard to break because I always have something to say, so I want to get my word in before the conversation moves on.

Colter Miest
age 8, grade 3
Trinity Lutheran
My worst habit is talking out of turn. When I talk out of turn, my teacher reminds me to raise my hand. And then I wait until the others are done talking.

It is a bad habit because sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I try to not talk, but I do. I could make a watch collar that will tell me when I talk out of turn. It would shock me a little, but it will not hurt that much, but when I was done, I would say, “Remember to not talk out of turn.” And I would remember to raise my hand. If I do not, I will talk out of turn for the REST OF MY LIFE!! But I am not trying to be mean.

I can train my brain to raise my hand so I cannot talk out of turn again.

Isaac Grundhoffer
age 9, grade 4
Le Center Elementary
My worst habit is scaring my sisters. It’s hard to break it because it’s fun.

Sarah Haynes
age 12, grade 7
Madelia
My worst bad habit is chewing with my mouth open. The reason I have developed this bad habit is because I am a 13-year-old growing girl. No matter what I eat, I cannot put it in my mouth fast enough and I always want more. I enjoy all kinds of food. I eat this way because I am always on the go. I play volleyball and basketball. I play with my dog and my two cats. I am always using my brain in school. That is why I eat fast and hard. Friends and family do not usually want to sit next to me when I eat. Food tends to fly everywhere. It is a mess. My mom and the lunch ladies hate to clean up after me, but my dog is my best friend when I eat. Most people think I am a pretty girl until I start to eat next to them. I do not mean to be so disgusting but I truly enjoy food and eating. I sure hope to break this nasty habit of mine. I will save you a seat by me at lunch!

Christian Deaconson
age 11, grade 6
Loyola Catholic
My kind of bad habit is daydreaming. Sometimes I can daydream for four hours. Daydreaming is fun. I don’t really intend to break the habit, because I think it is good for your brain. It is not really a bad habit.

Amelia Michels
age 12, grade 7
Loyola Catholic
I think my worst bad habit is whining. I know that kids usually don’t count it as a habit, but if you kind of think about it, it really is. For example, when my dad tells me to do something that I don’t want to do, I will whine. I think that is common for most kids so it probably isn’t that big of a deal, but it does get annoying and people, especially parents, I know think that, too.

Parker Leiding
age 12, grade 7
Martin County West
Before I tell you what my bad habit is, I am going to give you some hints. My cousin is the president of the United States. You should know what it is, but if you don’t, I’ll tell you. My bad habit is lying, but I only use it outside of school ... sometimes. Shh ... don’t tell anybody, which brings me to a little story, which was one time on a commercial ad, and I lied about my age and they must have contacted my mom and she yelled at me ... just kidding.

Why it is so hard to break is because it is so fun to tell people about if you got 21 interceptions, which is kind of impossible to do. And sometimes they don’t believe you and sometimes they do. But, like a bad habit, sometimes you get in trouble. And this is kind of weird, but sometimes I hate it when other people lie just a little too much. I mean, it is OK to lie sometimes, but you don’t need to lie on a daily basis. And there are some people that lie very very bad.

And you know what? I think I am going to stop my bad habit, which is lying. And you know what? I am going to stop right now. Oh, and another thing, I have a record for being the first kid astronaut in space. Just kidding!

Jacob Osterman
age 9, grade 4
Maple River West
I watch too much TV. I can fix it by going outside more often. I can read more books at home. I can run outside at home so I can get more exercise, and I can get a lot more energy.

Gabrielle Miller
age 13, grade 8
Risen Savior Lutheran
My worst bad habit is probably talking when I shouldn’t be. I really can’t help it because there is always something to talk about. Plus, my name is Gabby so that might have something to do with it. It is so hard to stop talking just because I love it so much. It also expresses who I am, which might not always be a good thing.

Teddy Bachenberg
age 13, grade 8
Martin County West
My worst bad habit is eating in the living room when I’m not supposed to, but I do it anyway. Then my mom finds out and I get into trouble.

I usually do it when mom isn’t around. I have to clean it up before she finds out. I just eat in the living room whenever I want anyway.

It’s a hard habit to break because I’ve done it since I was little. Mom calls it a mouse house. We’re only allowed to have popcorn in there.

Sara Carlson
age 12, grade 7
Martin County West
Chairs, tables, desks, rocks, blocks. You name it, chances are I’ve tripped over it. My dad says I’m just growing, but whatever. I think tripping over everything is a real problem. My mom is forever telling me to be more careful when I walk, but I always say it’s not my fault I trip.

You may not think tripping is a bad habit, but one time, I tripped into the bleachers at school and hit my head. It hurt. After that, I decided that gym is a dangerous place to be if you’re clumsy like me. And this “habit” is quite hard to break. It’s not like I can just say I’m just not going to trip anymore. If that was the case, I would have done that ages ago. My sister says it’s a wonder I’m still alive. I mean, she’s got a point. At any time, I could trip into something harmful. Like, for instance, I could be walking along, then, bam, I could trip down a flight of stairs and die. So, not only is tripping a bad habit, it’s a dangerous one, too.

With that, I think my point is well made. I think the only way to stop me from tripping is putting me in a bubble. Since that’s not going to happen, I guess I’ll just have to live with my clumsiness.

Ethan Harris
age 13, grade 8
Martin County West
What is your worst bad habit? Swearing, eating too much, not spending time with family. Well, mine is eating too much.

The reason I do it is because I’m sad. I eat and eat, then get sick and, trust me, it’s not fun. Then I would still eat. I don’t need help and am still getting the hang of it, but now I’m trying. Little by little, I do it.

So now I told you mine. How can you stop your bad habit? Thanks for listening.

Dominic Cannella
age 11, grade 6
Loyola Catholic
My worst bad habit is slurping my drink when it is empty. This habit is hard to break because I drink my drinks really fast, and I have been doing that for a long time. I hope that one day I can stop it.

Klaryssa McCormick
age 14, grade 8
Martin County West
My worst bad habit is keeping organized. The reason why it is hard to keep organized for me is because, if I clean my room, more than likely, I will lose something. And when I don’t clean my room, my mom yells at me. Another one of my bad habits is listening at home.

The reason why it is so hard to keep organized is because I just know I will lose something. The other reason I can’t keep organized is because I like to keep my room a mess. The reason I don’t listen at home is because of my mom and my brother always yelling at me.

Yeah, my worst habit is keeping my room clean and listening at home, especially keeping my room clean. The way I get my anger out is going through my closet or reading my book.

Jaedyn Long
age 10, grade 4
Le Center Elementary
Being mean to my brother and I hit him on the hand and he cries. And I pinch him. And I lie to my mom and say I didn’t pinch or hit him. So I don’t get in trouble. And I say, “No, he is lying. He pinched me. And he hit me on the head.” And he says, “No, she did it. She is lying.” And my mom says, “Who is lying?” And we say, “He is,” “No, she is,” and my mom gets really mad and says, “You two go to bed,” and we say, “No,” and she says, “Don’t make me get up.”

Madison Rice
age 9, grade 4
Maple River West
My worst bad habit is watching TV. It’s hard to break because watching TV is so much fun. I think maybe I should read more. I also think that I should clean more, too.