6 Tips for Teaching Manners to Your Children

Teaching your kids good manners is a lifelong process but with consistent messaging, clear explanations, reminders and consequences (as needed), you can help them become well-mannered people.

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6 Tips for Teaching Manners to Your Children

Children learn by watching you so start with the basics like saying please and thank you and basic table manners. Then, expand your expectations to include more advanced etiquette.

1. Set Your Expectations

The first step is to establish what your family’s expectations are for your children. This can include behaviors such as saying “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me,” using polite table manners, greeting people with a smile and/or handshake, being patient and respectful of others’ space and belongings, making eye contact when speaking with adults, and more.

Your kids look to you for guidance on how they should behave. Practice your expectations in front of your children, and role model the behavior you want them to adopt. Provide clear explanations, reminders, and consequences (as needed) to help your children etiquette class.

2. Make It Fun

Having fun with the process of learning new skills will help children retain and master them. Make it a game by playing manners bingo, putting up a “good manners” star in their room that they have to pin sequins to when they’ve used good manners, or by asking them to keep a ‘Good Manners Journal’.

Using movies, like ‘Inside Out’ to teach empathy and perspective-taking is also a great way to get kids interested in learning new skills. Similarly, classroom pen pals can help young children develop their communication skills as well as their manners. They can write and send letters to their classmates about how they use their good manners.

3. Praise Your Child

Your children want to do the right thing, and they will be more likely to repeat good behavior when they are praised for it. Praise can be as simple as saying “good job” when they say “thank you” for something, or it could include letting them choose a special treat from the grocery store if they use proper manners.

It’s never too early to start teaching your children manners. Toddlers can learn basic please and thank you, while older children can practice dining etiquette or wait their turn in conversation.

4. Let Your Child Make Mistakes

It’s important to let your child make mistakes when learning manners. Mistakes provide an opportunity for teaching and help them shape their future behavior based on what is considered appropriate at each age.

For instance, your toddler might forget to say please and thank you or they might not wait their turn while playing. This is a great time to prompt them, remind them and use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior.

They might also forget to knock on closed doors or blurt out an inappropriate comment about a stranger’s appearance. In these instances, a quick reminder, an explanation and consequences (if necessary) will help them to regain control of their behavior.

5. Don’t Get Afraid to Ask Questions

Instilling proper manners in your children is more than just a matter of etiquette. It teaches them to appreciate others, fosters positive relationships, and sets the foundation for future success in both personal and professional endeavors.

It is important to remember that learning and internalizing good manners can take time. Be patient and provide gentle reminders to help them along the way.

Also, remember to praise their progress and accomplishments, such as putting their phone away at the dinner table or greeting a new friend politely. The more you give them praise for their efforts, the more they will want to use their new skills.

6. Make It a Priority

Children are natural copycats and will likely mimic the manners they see from their parents. This is why it’s important to model good behavior and to make sure that your child spends time with well-mannered adults and children.

It is also helpful to gently remind your children of the proper ways to behave in a particular situation. Be careful not to scold them or shame them if they make a mistake. Instead, focus on reassuring them that they have the ability to shape their behaviors with practice.

Praise your children when they display polite behavior this can include anything from putting down their phones at the dinner table to introducing themselves before entering someone else’s home.

At lluxxall, empower your children with essential manners through their effective teaching methods and valuable resources.

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