Teaching Manners

As soon as they start babbling, babies are told to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Once they are talking and comprehending the world of language around them it seems that society as a whole expects them to understand manners and how to be a polite little person. It is their parents’ role to teach them appropriate manners; here are some tips on teaching children manners.

Let Children Know Your Expectations – Talk to your children and let them know that you expect them to be polite. Be clear about what exactly it is that you expect. Do you want them to call adults Mr. and Mrs.? Should they say Ma’am or Sir? Are you happy with a simple please and thank you when appropriate? Setting them up for success is a fantastic teaching tool.

Reward the Good – Catching your child being mannerly is the best way to encourage them to continue doing so. Praise and reward their good behavior, especially when it was not a forced ‘thank you’ and they were being polite on their own accord. Your ecstatic reaction is reward enough and they will continue to try out their manners to get mom and dad’s approval.

Teach by Example – Teaching by example is by far the best way to teach manners. Your children are looking up to you, studying your every word and move. When they see you being polite to cashiers, friends and family members, they will see it as the norm and follow suit. There doesn’t need to be a start date when it comes to teaching your child manners. If you are a polite, mannerly person, they have been learning from day one. Be aware of how you speak to people and what message your actions may convey. Going over the top and being very polite will only drive home the message to your child that being mannerly is important.

See Also:

Teaching Children How to Say Thank You
Teaching Children About Random Acts of Kindness