Don’t Forget to Teach Manners to Your Kids
Learning manners is so important for everyone, yet these days having proper manners seems to be declining. Showing common courtesy towards others makes you and the other person feel good. As parents, we should be teaching our kids how to have good manners so that they can have positive interactions with others. Children should be learning proper manners on a regular basis, starting when they are little. You can start teaching your kids how to have manners when they are babies and toddlers.
As a teacher unfortunately, I observed that many children weren’t learning manners at home. And there is only so much time a teacher can try to guide children into correct manners since the focus in the classroom is on the academic subjects. So I learned from teaching how important it is for parents to teach their children good manners at home when they are young, before they start grade school.
Our children need to understand that having good manners shows that you have respect for others. Here are some basic manners that your children should learn.
Saying hello when you first see someone and goodbye when you or someone you are interacting with is leaving
Saying please when you are asking for something
Saying thank you after someone does something nice for you
Saying excuse me when you need to pass by or to get someone else’s attention
Saying sorry when you have done something wrong to someone
Being kind and compassionate to others
And of course children will need to be reminded. They aren’t perfect and sometimes they will forget. But we can lovingly remind them to show good manners. I teach and remind my kids on a regular basis to have good manners. I also tell them to make sure that they don’t let people who have bad manners make them change who they are.
I hope this encourages you to teach your kids to have good manners. We definitely need it in this world If you need help with teaching this to your kids, there is a resource available to you. It’s Parenting Toolkit 2, Lesson 3: Use Good Manners and Respect Others. You will feel good when you start teaching your children this because kids with good manners stand out in a positive way. Always remember that God is with you to guide you as you raise your kids.