Teach your children well
An important part of raising your child is teaching them good manners that they are able to apply not only around you, but also when they are on their own.
Being polite can set your child up for success later in life.
Beyond the basic “please” and “thank you,” you want your child to be able to show respect to their elders and know how to be a polite guest.
Enforce these manners from an early age, and your child will catch on in no time.
"Please" and "thank you"
Teach your child to always say, “Please” when asking for something and “Thank you” when receiving something or someone has helped them.
"Excuse me"
Teach them to say, “Excuse me” when they need to get through a crowd, bump into someone or want to get someone’s attention.
Please don't interrupt
Teach them to not interrupt, whether it be interrupting a conversation between two people that they are not a part of (unless it is an emergency) or when someone is speaking to them. Here are seven ways kids are annoying – and how to deal with it.
No unkind comments
Show them how it’s impolite to comment on other people’s characteristics or physical appearances, unless if it is a compliment. Find out the 11 things parents say that ruin their children’s trust.
Always ask permission
Teach your child to always ask permission. It’s important that they understand if they aren’t sure about taking or using something, it is always better to ask first.
Show gratitude
Enforce the importance of gratitude. Show your child how to write a simple thank you note. Especially when they receive gifts in the mail, they shouldn’t be allowed to use the gift until they have properly thanked whoever gave it to them. Find out more about the power of gratitude here.
The importance of hygiene
Give your child a lesson in hygiene. Teach them to cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze and to never pick their nose and always use a tissue. These are the 7 incredibly dangerous parenting moves even careful parents make.
Respond to greetings politely
Teach them to politely respond when someone asks them how they are and to always ask the question back.
Respect privacy
Tell them how important it is to respect other people’s privacy. Always knock on closed doors and wait for a response before opening it. Are you setting a good example? Here are 7 real-world situations to gauge how good your own manners are.
Use good table manners
Enforce the idea of table manners. Teach them to not reach across the table to get something, but instead ask if someone can pass it to them.
Hold doors open
Teach them to hold the door open for others if the opportunity presents itself and always say, “Thank you” if someone held the door for them.
Clean up after yourself
Show them how to clean up after themselves both after play time and eating a meal.
Use people's names
Tell them to always remember people’s names and to address people by their names when speaking to them.
Don't litter
Teach them not to litter and how important is it to keep our earth clean.
Be a good sport
Tell them why it’s important to always have good sportsmanship whether you win or lose.
Shoes off!
Teach your child to take their shoes off whenever they enter anyone’s home.
Once your child learns these important manners, they’ll have the drive to become even more courteous as they grow up. Here are some interesting things that would be considered rude to do in another country.
Sign up here to get Reader’s Digest’s favourite stories straight to your inbox!
Source: RD.com