Are you happy with the way your children behave in private and in public? We all want our children to behave properly and make good impressions. We want them to be admired by people they meet, we want them to be taken as good examples for other children. Developing good manners and social skills in your children early on is very important. Children must be trained how to conduct themselves in different situations so that they make good impressions. If your children know the basics of good etiquette, they will develop social skills that they can carry over to all areas in their lives when they grow up, and they can even pass it on to their children. Here are some simple things that you can teach your children to help them learn not only good manners but also good values and etiquette.
Teach your children how to greet people properly. Children who know how to greet and address people properly give the impression of having self-confidence and maturity. Teach your children to address adults by their title, or to use “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Ms.”
Your children must also learn how to say “Please,” “Thank You,” and “Excuse Me.” These are magic words that when spoken at the right time and in the right situation will have great effects. The best way to teach these words to your children is by using them yourself. Always use “Please” when you request your children to do something for you. Make it a habit to say “Thank you” every time your child does something good for you. Be sure to say “Excuse me” in situations where it is necessary to say so. Your children will learn from you.
Teach your children how to respect privacy; show them that everyone has the right to it. You can start by showing them that it is not proper just to open a closed door, one needs to knock first and wait for the permission to enter before entering.
It is also important for children to have table manners. Simple things like making sure that hands are washed before eating, taking caps or hats off when at the table, and waiting for everybody to be seated before starting to eat could go a long way.
There are little things that we parents can do that are easily mimicked by our children. Parents who practice good etiquette are sure to have children who know how to behave properly in private and in public.