Teach your children good manners and watch them become exceptional kids and socially attentive as they get older. Proper etiquette in children is an indicator that these kids have been raised well. As parents, everyday hustling and bustling are enough to divert our attention from little things(great things actually) like teaching kids manners. As much as we can model these good manners for our kids to take cues from, we must also actively teach them the importance of treating everyone with respect.
If you want to help your kids develop core social skills and build healthy relationships with people, then you must teach them to care about other people’s feelings.
Here are some basic good manners you must teach your kids to put to use every day.
Saying ‘Please’ And ‘Thank You’
Although manners aren’t ranked, please and thank you are considered one of the first basic manners to teach your child. – Saying ‘please’ when asking for something and ‘thank you when receiving something are basics that every child should know. Help kids master these things by using them yourselves in your everyday relationship with your partner and the kids. The more they see you consciously using them, the more it sinks in their subconscious.
Asking Before Taking Anything
I hope your kids understand taking things without asking for permission is wrong? Well, it is often taken for granted, but yes, it is wrong. Children should learn to take permission before taking anything that is not theirs. A go-ahead must be sought before using what doesn’t belong to them.
They should also be taught to return anything they have borrowed with proper appreciation – this shows respect and creates room for other opportunities to request next time.
Saying ‘Sorry’
This is a part of the five magic words in the nursery rhyme. When your kids say sorry for wronging others, it shows remorse and responsibility. An excellent way to teach this to your child is leading by example – learn to say sorry to your child when you’ve done something wrong. Teach your child when and where to say sorry, and make them understand that they must always mean it as against just saying it casually
Saying ‘Excuse Me’
This is another basic manner for children to learn. Children are naturally impatient, so teaching them to say ‘excuse me’ and ask for permission to talk in any conversation breeds courtesy. Doing this also will teach them when and how to enter a conversation without interrupting anyone.
Knocking On Doors Before Entering
Although your kids might be pretty young, they must be taught at an early age the importance of privacy. Privacy should not be ignored, especially at home.
Teaching your kids to knock on the door and wait for permission will help them get noticed as courteous and respectful, especially when visiting. Also, doing so in front of your kids will help them pick it up as a good habit.
Don’t Make Fun Of People
If you’ve got a house-help at home and you call her fish just because you think she talks like one, don’t be surprised your child could end up calling her fish thinking it’s normal.
Not teaching your kids this manner might make them think it is okay to make fun of people most times and end up hurting people’s feelings. Children should be taught this early enough that it is wrong to hurt someone’s feelings by making fun of them or bullying them in public or private.
Be Compassionate And Render Help
Learning to show compassion and being helpful to people should become a habit to your children. Teach them little things like asking if they could help if they come across a neighbour working on something and also assist when an adult asks for a favour without grumbling and with a smile. Simple things like holding the door open for others are good manners kids should exhibit from early on.
Helping your kids master this list of good manners will mainly require you to model the manners every day. Kids are constantly reproducing everything they see you do and their everyday relationship with you is the sum total of the behaviour they exhibit. So start making a conscious effort to display good manners at home and watch your kids pick them up quickly. This is one of the numerous ways your child can stand out and get noticed for the right reason.
Do you want to teach your kids how to be excellent teammates and to be able to collaborate when they find themselves in a team? Then see six tips for teaching kids teamwork.
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