Adults know the consequences of eating a dozen donuts, smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, or behaving obnoxiously — and are able to weigh the penalties against any satisfaction they might derive from those actions and make an informed decision.

Children, on the other hand, have a harder time navigating this territory because they are still learning how to balance emotions and desires.

Yet ongoing studies show that children who exhibit self-restraint at a young age actually lead healthier and happier lives than those who have no control over their impulses.

So what sort of future are we setting our kids up for?

“The link is clear. People with better self-control are healthier, throughout life,” psychologist Roy Baumeister, co-author of “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength,” told LifeZette. “The bottom line is that they live longer than other people.”

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One key explanation for why those with self-control have more longevity — they practice nourishing behaviors, Baumeister explained. “Good self-control manifests itself in all sorts of things, like not overeating, not becoming addicted, not smoking, not using alcohol to excess,” he said.

Psychologist Walter Mischel long ago prompted studies about childhood self-control with his now-famous “marshmallow test.” Conducted in the late 1960s, the test measured a preschool child’s ability to delay gratification. Mischel placed treats in front of a child, some of which were marshmallows, and then told the child that if he or she waited quietly alone for up to 20 minutes, a second treat would be provided as a reward. If the child ate a treat, however, no second treat would be offered.

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Mischel continued to observe these same preschoolers over the course of their lives to see how their ability to resist temptation affected their grades, sociability, and drug use. He found that children who were able to defer indulgence excelled further in life than their tempted counterparts.

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Critics of the study say Mischel’s group was too small and homogeneous for him to reach any real broad-based conclusions. However, a much more recent study published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 2010 was much larger and had results very similar to Mischel’s.

The study followed 1,000 kids from birth to age 32 to also measure how self-control during childhood influences the rest of their lives. Conducted by professors of psychiatry, psychology, and neuroscience from a variety of universities, the study found that health, wealth, substance dependence, and criminal activity also can be predicted by self-control in childhood.

Five hundred sibling pairs were also observed; the findings indicated that the sibling with less self-control ultimately fared worse in life than the brother or sister, despite having the same background and upbringing.

So if there is a correlation between having self-control as a child and having a fruitful life, is the ability to control impulses inherent? Or, is it possible for a child to learn self-control?

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Jamie Goldring of Memphis, Tennessee, has been teaching self-control to children for over 30 years. She said scientists have confirmed self-control to be a learned skill.

While Goldring understands that “some people are born having better impulse control than others, just like some people are naturally better in math than others” — she knows that every child benefits from instruction.

The secret, she told LifeZette, is in practice and having a plan.

“Asking a child to calm down or get control of himself is like asking a child to do a math problem that he has not been taught how to do,” Goldring explained. “Children have to be taught how to control themselves by giving them the skills they need to manage their own behavior.”

Goldring has written three books, “Discover ME,” “Teaching Children Self-Control,” and “What’s in Your Emotional Toolbox,” all resource books that educate parents and teachers about the basics of impulse control and how to teach techniques to children for learning self-control.

Language skills and body awareness are huge first steps in helping children manage their behavior. Kids can then recognize feelings, understand how it affects their body, and find the right words to express themselves.

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“Calm bodies tend to make peaceful choices. Angry bodies tend to make angry choices,” Goldring said.

By instructing the children to sit down and “smell the flowers and blow out the candles,” a method of breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, the children are able to relax. This provides them with a plan for when they are overcome with emotion and often become impulsive — or when they feel they are losing control, Goldring explained.

Children who have self-control are less aggressive, able to manage their own behavior, understand consequences, form stronger relationships, act appropriately — and have better focus and concentration, she added.

Dr. David Fergusson, an emeritus psychology professor at Christchurch Health in New Zealand, also conducted a 35-year longitudinal study on self-control and followed children throughout life. His study, however, also incorporated other factors such as ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder as well as socioeconomic status and IQ.

His findings suggest that childhood self-control and outcomes as an adult can be chiefly explained by the combined effects of these other factors.

Whatever the reason for impetuous behavior, parents should know that their guidance early on has an impact on the child’s future.

“Good childhood self-control is unquestionably an advantage,” Baumeister said. “But one can learn as an adult.”