Manners cost nothing. If there was one thing I have always taught my children it is manners. I think it is such an incredibly important aspect of education and one that should be mandatory.
I like my children to understand the meaning of manners too. For example, if someone has cooked a meal and my little one says ‘thank you’, I like them to know its more than just a repetitive phrase rolled off the tongue.
A thank you means so much more. Like, thank you for the effort you went to while cooking this meal for me and so on.
Here are some ways you can encourage your little one to have good manners.
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Start early.
My two-year-old says "please" and "thank you." Although she may not know what they fully mean, she knows when it is appropriate to use them which is the first step. A gentle reminder when they are asking for something is all it takes to get started.
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Respect.
Good manners is really a sign of respect for another person. An integral part of teaching your child good manners is also teaching them to have respect for others.
Teaching your child about other people’s feelings and boundaries will help them to develop respect. A child who has respect will also have manners as they see manners as a logical way of expressing respect. -
Set a good example.
Children are watching our every move, processing and learning from everything we show them. If we don’t have respect for others how can expect our children to?
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Manners are more than saying "please" and "thank you".
Although "please" and "thank you" are the basis of all good manners don’t forget to encourage your child to use things like ‘excuse me’ and ‘no, thank you’.
No is an incredibly powerful word that your child should be encouraged to use when they need to, and there is always a mannerly way to do so. -
Acknowledge your child in public.
It is sad to see a child ignored in public or in a queue waiting to pay for something. Again, how can your child learn to have respect for others when they are not given the regular opportunity?
Remember, every scenario is helping your child to learn. If they are in a restaurant, let them order for themselves or in a shop let them pay.
