It is never too early to start teaching your child the importance of good manners and etiquette. Children at a young age have incredibly absorbent brains. They remember what they are taught with clarity and their minds absorb everything much faster than they would at a later age.
Manners and etiquette in children is an indicator that they have been brought up well. Teaching good manners to kids may be quite a task, but make sure not to lose patience with your child. After all, being patient is also good etiquette. And kids learn from adults being good role models. Therefore, it is important that we as adults and parents exhibit the best manners in front of our children, so that they can watch and learn.
Good Manners You Must Teach Your Children
1. Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’
This is one of the first basic manners to teach your child. The importance of saying ‘please’ when asking for something and ‘thank you’ when receiving something should be instilled in children, from the start. Put this into practice at all times, so it will eventually come naturally to them.
2. Asking before Taking Anything
Children should learn to ask permission before taking anything that is not theirs, even with people like Mom and Dad. They should also be taught to return anything they have borrowed, with proper thanks.
3. Saying ‘Sorry’
Along with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, saying sorry when you have done something wrong is also an important habit to instill in your child. Teach your child when and where to say sorry, and not use it casually. Empathy is a skill they have to imbibe.
4. Knocking on Doors Before Entering
Kids should be taught that privacy is paramount, especially at home. They should know that it is respectful to knock on someone’s door and ask permission before entering the room. Doing so in front of your kids will help them pick it up as a good habit.
5. Covering One’s Mouth When Sneezing or Coughing
Teach your kids to cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough. Also, teach them that picking one’s nose in public is considered rude and unpleasant. This is not only a part of good manners, but also hygiene.
6. Being Compassionate and Helpful
Learning to show compassion and being helpful should become a habit to children. It will make them feel really good about themselves and also help them be well-liked by others. You can teach them things like holding the door open for people who have their hands full or helping parents and teachers with chores.
7. Learning to Share
This habit becomes very important for kids when they play with others. They should be taught that sharing is caring and to share their toys or food. You can start teaching this quality by incorporating the act of sharing when you play with them and point out that doing so adds to the fun.
8. Showing Respect to Elders
Adults have been on this Earth since a longer time, and kids should be taught that experience leads to wisdom and wisdom leads to respect. They should be taught to show respect to their parents, grandparents, teachers, and any other adults they encounter. One way of doing this can be by always serving food to the elders, before the kids, or giving up a seat on public transport to an older adult, while your kid is watching. They will know that showing deference to age indicates good manners.
9. Learning and Remembering People’s Names
Using and remembering someone’s name shows that you have made an effort to recognize and remember them. Teach your kid to remember a friend’s name or family member’s name by using it often with him or her.
10. Not Pointing or Staring at People
To teach your kids that pointing and staring at someone is rude, tell them that if they point at someone, three fingers will always point back at them. You can use that as a base to teach them to be aware of other people’s emotional space. Asking them how it would feel if they were pointed at or stared at is also a step to getting them thinking.
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