Teach Your Children Manners That Last A Lifetime
Good manners allow a large group of people to exist in society as peacefully as possible. Manners are not rules. They are guidelines for the treatment of other people and how you would expect to be treated by others. Teaching your child manners can begin at birth and if successful, can last for a lifetime and generations to come.
Manners are normally founded on three basic principles: customs, consideration and common sense. Customs are habits developed and repeated generation after generation. Customs may originate in a family, religion or region.
Consideration encompasses a general respect for other people. Common sense involves tailoring manners to the unique situation at hand. Common sense falls more into an individual category, whereas consideration is more general.
Where do children learn manners?
Manners begin in the home. Instilling good manners in a child is one of a parent’s primary duties when raising a child. It is never too early to start. Parents can use many strategies when teaching their children good manners. Some of these include:
1. Lead by example. Children often mimic the actions of others from a very early age. If family members are polite and respectful to each other, children will learn very quickly how to use manners.
2. Teach children to use their polite words. Teaching the child to use words like “thank you”, “excuse me” and “sorry” is an easy way to begin manner training. With consistency, this will become second nature to your child.
3. Teach the child to stay calm until it is their turn to speak may be quite a daunting task. As many of the first months of their life were spent encouraging them to speak, parents now turn the tables and try to get them to quiet. Parents should make the child understand how to wait for a turn to speak and not interrupt others.
4. Proper table manners are very important for children and adults as well. Your children use their table manners in many situations outside of your home in their lives. Proper table manners can make the difference between a pleasant meal or an uncomfortable dining situation.
Parents are not alone in teaching manners to children. Schools often contribute greatly to teaching and enforcing good manners in children. Kids spend most of their time in the schools. Schools are consistent and patient in their teaching methods. Children can pick up good habits from other children and by example of staff. Schools are also a great place for a child to earn praise for their manners. This results in positive reinforcement and may keep a child engaged in using their manners consistently.
Manners will not develop overnight. A parent must be consistent and patient when teaching children manners. Manners are the seeds parents need to sow in children so that they grow into healthy trees in the future. By providing good examples, consistency, perseverance and praise, you can raise a child with good manners that will follow them into adulthood and pass onto generations to come.
Doc.No:CB-600-ULT-A6B235
Author Bio: Colby Brister is the loving parent of one boy and one girl, he is also a writer for MyBabyBeddingShop.Com. Check out his baby crib bedding sets or his Crib Sheets or his Baby Bedding
Category: Parenting
Keywords: children good manners,general respect,common sense
