Teaching children good manners is an important part of parenting. After all, if your children don’t know how to sit at the dining table and understand why it’s not OK to belch or reach across other people’s plates, then this could be a serious problem long-term. Being able to fit into society as a respectful person is important for building relationships and also advancing in your career.
If you want to encourage your child’s manners, here are some effective ways to get started right away:
Lead by Example
The most important thing you need to know is that you can tell your child as many times as you want that they should repeat a certain behavior or habit. However, they’re not going to give it much thought if they see you doing the opposite.
The most important thing you can do is model the behavior that you hope for them to imitate. By demonstrating good manners yourself, you’ll quite literally be taking the lead and showing them rather than merely telling them.
Praise Good Behavior
Make sure that when they do model positive behavior, you praise them for it. Positive reinforcement is an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to instilling good habits. Any time your child says something like “excuse me” or “thanks,” make sure that you acknowledge this good behavior. This will reinforce their perception that polite behavior is appreciated.
Make sure that when you praise them, you’re specific about why you’re praising them. Say, “Thank you for saying ‘please’ when you asked me to pass the bread,” for example. This will help your child understand exactly why and what they did was right. Over time, consistently reinforcing positive behavior will encourage them to keep going and doing the work.
Make it Fun
The younger a child is, the more entertaining it can be for them to learn new habits. You can make a game out of being polite by giving them prompts and seeing what their responses are. Children love to learn through play, so this can be an interactive game that will give your child the opportunity to practice polite behavior. Try pretending they’re a dinner guest, and guide them on how to sit down, how to express gratitude, and things they should stay away from doing as well.
Be Patient
Whether you’re teaching your child good manners or how to ride a bike, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is patience. Stay patient with them and eventually, they’ll get it right. If they don’t get it right all the time, that’s OK. It’s as simple as gently correcting them and consistently reinforcing how important it is to be a polite person in society.
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