Below are the Top 4 Good Manners for Children to Learn. Obviously, there are so many more good manners and if you are southern (like me) then you have to add even more to the list of good manners! However, the following will help you towards the path of having a well-mannered child.
When my oldest son was in early Elementary School, before we pulled him out to homeschool him, he struggled with his social skills and that caused “issues”. Turned out he was being bullied, but being a big kid who refused to tattle, no teacher ever saw it that way. Anyway, he would get into scuffles and the joke was that if you made him mad he would knock you down but would say, “excuse me” in the process.
Top 4 Good Manners for Children to Learn:
We as Parents have so many responsibilities. Two of them are to teach our children right from wrong and how to act! Studies have proven time and again that children learn best by example. So, if you want your children to be well-mannered and polite children, then YOU need to be well-mannered and polite when you are anywhere near them.
Good Manners #1: “Please” and “Thank you”
You’d be surprised how infrequently those phrases are heard in polite conversation these days. Kids just don’t know the etiquette. When someone gives you something, the proper reply is “thank you.” It conveys respect and appreciation. When you ask for something, end your statement or question with “please.” It also conveys respect and graciousness. In the South, you really need to tag on a “Ma’am” or “Sir” to those requests :-).
Good Manners #2: Interrupting
Oh my word! This one gets my goat! I am around children and teens a good portion of my week. Does no one wait until an adult has finished talking before interrupting? Or, if it is super important, saying “Excuse me for interrupting but XYZ”? This is very important: Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.
No one says “hello” anymore, it seems. Proper etiquette was always to say the greeting when you entered a room where people were already gathered. Even if the other person doesn’t return the greeting, extending a word of greeting shows kindness and respect to others.
#3 – Respect for Themselves and Others
Speaking kindly, holding doors, helping the elderly, being nice to those less fortunate, volunteering, donating, etc are all actions that show respect for others. Healthy eating, exercise, kindness towards themselves, maintaining a good body image are all actions that show respect for themselves.
#4 – Practice selflessness
How do they do that? They will have to watch you to see exactly how to do it. In a nutshell, it is showing consideration for others: holding a door open for someone behind you; taking the grocery bags in the house for mom; allowing an older person to have your seat on the bus. All of these are examples of selfless acts of kindness. This “life owes me mentality” is ruining our entire world! Please don’t allow your children to contribute to the problem!
Mastering manners can teach responsibility, sensitivity, respect and maturity. It is the first step for your child to growing into a well-adjusted and viable citizen in their community and the world beyond.
More Good Manners Resources:
The The Kids Good Manners DVD
Everyday Graces features stories and poems that will develop and enrich the moral imagination. This marvelous anthology features classic selections from such well-known authors as Hans Christian Anderson, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, Frances Hodgson Burnett, C. S. Lewis, Max Lucado, and Arnold Lobel, as well as forgotten gems that deserve a new hearing.
If you’ve ever cringed at the sight of your ten-year-old waltzing through the neighbor’s front door without an invitation, or struggled to teach your teenager proper “netiquette” for navigating the complicated world of social networks, you know the importance of teaching kids that manners matter. Sheryl Eberly’s bestselling 365 Manners Kids Should Know gives clever and insightful advice for the myriad situations where consideration counts, but is sometimes forgotten.