Not all habits are bad and no matter what age your kids are there are a few universally regarded ways to keep them healthy, responsible and in line for a great future. As a parent, you want to steer them in the right direction without being a dictator. If your kids see you as a dictator, they will do the opposite of what you say. Therefore you should encourage healthy, fun habits that will stick with them as they become young adults:

Be careful with credit cards. From the time they are old enough to want to buy something you should be teaching your kids responsible spending behaviors. Get them one of the best cash reward credit cards and let them experiment with finances. At the end of the month if they can’t pay off their bills (which, of course, should be extremely low–$50 max) with chore money their spending luxuries are cut off. This will teach them valuable lessons for the real world.

Reading is cool. I don’t just mean the Chase Sapphire preferred review (although I guess if you’re teaching them about credit cards, it would be useful). Get your kids hooked (remember, not all habits are bad) on reading literature. Young adult (YA) fiction is bigger than ever with the Twilight series and the Hunger Games following closely in the footsteps of Harry Potter, and new high quality work appears every year. Studies have shown that kids who develop a love of reading early are more likely to be happy and succeed in life.

Be aware of Internet privacy. Most kids are smarter with social media than their parents but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily safe. The Internet can be used for good and it can be used for bad and your kids should know that they have to be careful with what they post about themselves and who they interact with online. This will be important for the rest of their lives, as the Internet won’t be going away anytime soon. In addition to restricting what sites they visit you may have to set ground rules about what information (for example, where they live) they can share.

Raising kids in today’s society is not easy. With so much irresponsible spending and Internet sites, many dangers lurk about and bad influences come from all directions. But there are ways to steer your kids in the right direction without cramping their love of fun and being known as Mommy the Dictator.

This is a guest article