Allen Career Institute
A well-mannered and rightly behaved child is the reflection of the right parenting and education. Teaching kids good manners hold great importance, both for parents as well as the school.
And it goes without saying that a child who is well-mannered, holds the capability to stand out in the crowd and make a mark with both his intelligence and values.
While schools out there do their bit, as parents, even you share the responsibility of raising a morally balanced child. Basic good manners like using polite words as ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’, ‘please’ etc. go way beyond in shaping your child’s personality. Good mannered kids leave the perfect impression on teachers and peers.
It even makes kids more empathetic and considerate towards others; qualities that societies benefit from the most.
So today, let’s have a look at 7 easy to follow tips to inculcate good manners in kids:
1. Practice what you preach: Before you begin with disciplining your child, teaching good manners; the first important step is to see if you are practicing the same behavior. Kids are great observers. They tend to follow your behavior a lot. So if you want your child to use good words, be polite and respectful to others, you need to model the same. Your prejudices regarding a particular person or community should never be discussed out in front of your kids. Don’t make them follow any prejudice.
2. Correct on the spot: The second important thing to consider, when teaching kids good manners is correcting bad behavior. If you notice your child being rude or mean to anyone, make it a point to correct the behavior on the spot but in a polite way. The child should never feel offended when you do so. Always explain the reason why a particular behavior is not appropriate so that it is followed without fail.
3. Recognize & praise efforts: Everyone likes acknowledgment and so do the kids. When you recognize their good behavior and efforts, they feel motivated to do it more often. Praise your child when he/she does something good in terms of behavior. Always remember that acknowledgment goes a long way.
4. Create the right environment: Another vital point, to keep in mind when teaching kids good manners, is creating the ideal environment for them to learn and practice. If you live in a joint family, make sure all members are on the same page when it comes to modeling good behavior. Even in nuclear families, partners must ensure that they share similar thoughts in regard to helping kids learn good manners.
5. Teach the right words: Your child may lack the vocabulary when it comes to good manners. Help them with new words related to good behavior. You can teach them words used in different scenarios such as the greeting words- ‘good morning’, ‘good evening’, request words as ‘please’, ‘excuse me’ etc.
6. Focus on age-appropriate behavior: Behavior always has to be age-appropriate because it comes with a certain sense of understanding. You can’t expect a 5-year-old to behave like a mature adult. This is why when you teach good manners you have to focus on age-appropriate behavior. Sticking to this ensures your child learns in a systematic way.
7. Be patient: Teaching kids good manners can often be tricky owing to their tendency of doing the opposite of being told. So, you will have to be a lot more patient with them. Don’t force good manners; it comes naturally. Explain things and why they are expected to follow certain behavior. The more openly you interact with them on this topic, the quicker they understand and respond.
As it goes with all the important life lessons you teach them, this one too requires consistency and constant monitoring. Keep up with these tips to ensure that your child is on the right path when it comes to ethics, values, and principles!
