Especially with the holidays upon us, this is the perfect time to reiterate to your child, the value and importance of proper communication. This is a time of family, and if yours is akin to the typical one, you will be spending at least a portion of your time with relatives, some of whom you only see once a year. And goodness forbid, you be the family member who is remembered throughout the remainder of the year as the one with unruly and unmannered children. Not that your children would ever dare misbehave, but hey, you were young once, and how many times did your parents remind you to watch your manners? Times have not changed that much, so you may want to think about keeping this tradition alive and well.
When Great Aunt Beatrice hands your eight-year-old a three-pack of wool socks with Christmas reindeer on them, if you have done your job well, your precious well-behaved child will pleasantly smile and say thank you, and you, in turn, will heave a sigh of relief. Take a well-deserved bow.
Maybe it is considered old-school by some, but I am always quite impressed when a hear a youth of today address their elders as sir or ma’am. It’s all too infrequent. It shouldn’t be.
The way our children communicate, especially when in the presence of family and/or friends, is ultimately our responsibility as parents. When I witness an incredibly unruly or rude child, I don’t so much blame the child as much I do the parents. Many of you, I am certain, will agree. But what particularly astounds me is the fact it isn’t that difficult of a thing to accomplish. It takes patience, tolerance, and yes, a constant reminder. But isn’t it our job? The one we signed up for?
Also remember, teaching your children to respectively communicate now, at a young age, will follow them as they grow, and will assist them in better, and more successfully, adapting to the adult life which lies in front of them, just around life’s corner.
Communication is a key element of life. Even as adults, please and thank you sometimes go a long way. Of course, this message does not apply to every parent, but as my grandfather used to say, you know in your knower if something applies. The one gift we can give our kids that keeps on giving for the remainder of their lives is to communicate with respect. They will reap the rewards of learning to do so.