Good manners are an important social skill that should be developed in a child from an early age.
If you teach your child to be polite and considerate to others, it will allow him to develop good manners. This skill will be of great use to him in the future. It will be easier to teach a child good behavior if you establish rules for good manners in different situations.
When you teach your child good manners, you will experience the benefits yourself. All parents love to hear from teachers or other parents how polite and well-behaved their children are.
Parents whose children know how to speak politely on the phone do not have to worry when their child picks up the phone. In addition, parents of polite children are not afraid to visit friends’ places with them.
How to cultivate politeness in a child
Let’s look at a few tips to help instill good manners in your child. Start at an early age and over time you will be pleasantly surprised.
Set an example of good behavior
You should show your child an example of good behavior at home. It may sound trite, but you should always remember that children always imitate their parents. Start with the most basic.
Say “please” and “thank you” throughout the day. Tell it to the kids. Say it to your spouse, the store clerk, and everyone you interact with throughout the day. Make sure your child hears you say these words.
Encourage your child to use these words too. Remind your child of this when necessary. If the child says, “Give me…” or “I need…” and expects you to give him an item, tell him to ask politely. Explain that he should use words such as “Please” and “Can I…?”
Everyone loves to be thanked. Thank your child even for small things, such as passing the salt at dinner.
Be patient
It may take some time for a child to learn good manners. Change does not happen quickly, especially if something familiar to the child changes. But if you make changes in a gentle way and constantly correct the child when he does something wrong, this will give the desired result.
You may have to spend months trying to make changes. But when you see how all family members talk politely to each other, it can generally change the atmosphere in the family for the better.
This will improve your relationship with your spouse. Husbands and wives experience positive emotions when they are thanked for the things they do for the family (for example, cook delicious food or do housework).
Teach your child gratitude
Teaching a child good manners is not the same as teaching them polite phrases. Important elements of good manners are gratitude and respect.
When children express their gratitude for what their parents do for them, they:
- feel better;
- stop taking what their parents do for them for granted;
- develop empathy because they understand that other people are trying for them.
If a child does not feel gratitude, he grows up selfish and takes everything he has for granted. Conversely, a child who says “please” and “thank you” often comes across as a benevolent and caring person. Both of these qualities are admirable.
Start as early as possible
You can start teaching your child good manners from the age of one and a half. Start by teaching him to say “please” and “thank you” when appropriate. This is useful even if the child does not yet understand why it is necessary to be polite.
When parents show good manners at meals (for example, don’t put their elbows on the table or say, “Pass the salt, please”), children begin to do the same.
Parents can teach their child good manners in a playful way. You can use dolls or soft toys for this. Try this game: let the child play the role of a parent, while you yourself be a naughty child.
Keep teaching your child good manners as they grow.
Older children need to know what to say when they are given a gift, when they are introduced to another person, when they pick up the phone, etc.
After a while, the child will get used to the rules of behavior in different situations, and they will not need to be reminded. As your child matures, he will remember proper manners and you will need to control him less.
Remember to praise your child when he shows good manners without your prompting. The child will try to repeat the behavior for which you praise him.