All parents wish to have their child grow up as kind, polite and respectful individuals of the society. In a world driven by speed, competition and constant evolution, values and mannerisms are what distinguishes one from another.
While it’s never too late to help your child learn good manners and etiquettes, it is important that parents take the necessary efforts from the very beginning as this would facilitate moulding their kid’s behaviour easily.
The following are some crucial manners that you might want to imbibe in your child:
The magic words
A little “sorry” and “please” here, a little”thank you” there might not seem like the most important thing in the list of good manners. However, these magic words are what make all the difference in the way an individual talks, behaves and treats others. If you begin to nurture a habit of using these words in their day to day life at home, soon they’ll start to imbibe it in their behaviour and use it even when interacting with strangers.
The table étiquettes
When socialising, one is expected to be aware of the basic table manners such as cleaning hands before eating, placing napkins on the lap, not filling out their mouth with food and more. It is also important to teach your kids to clear their dishes from the table after having a meal. They also need to be taught common things like waiting until everyone at the table has finished, waiting to eat until everyone has been served or having just the right pace of eating.
The habit of listening before speaking
Now, oftentimes we notice individuals who have a habit of interrupting and cutting others off in order to state their views. We sure don’t like and we don’t want our little ones to become one. Thus, it is necessary that we teach them to be patient and listen carefully to what others have to say before they speak their turn. The ability to be a good listener comes handy at most times if not all.
The no-comment policy
Children don’t always know how to behave and thus, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children that they should never comment on anyone’s physical appearance. Not only is it rude to do but bullying on someone’s physical appearance can hurt and traumatize them to the roots. It is important to teach sensitivity to kids and make them accept and respect everyone equally.
The right way to greet
Now, many children grow up to be awkward conversationalists simply because they don’t know how to begin and keep up with a conversation. Greeting someone is not just one of the best ways to kick start a conversation but is also a highly admirable etiquette. Would you not like someone who always greets you with a “hello, how are you”?
The more you model these greeting habits in front of your child and consciously teach them, the sooner they will learn.
The ability to empathize
Who wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who not only listens to them but also understands and empathizes with them. Start by getting your child involved in helping others. Take them out to old age homes, teach them to help the ones in need and above all, model the best behaviour you want them to pick up. Children learn most from what they see adults doing around them. Kindness and compassion goes a long way!
The patience mantra
There’s no better quality than being patient. Anger, sadness, and all other negative emotions can be efficiently dealt with if only they’ve got patience. In fact, patience is one quality that differentiates the ones that make it through all the challenging circumstances rather than those who give up at the rarest instance of difficulties. If your child is taught to be patient, you can actually rest assured that he/she will try and pick in some of the best behaviours and mannerisms.
Besides the above mentioned manners, things like seeking permission before using someone else’s belongings, knocking on closed doors when walking in, necessary phone etiquettes, etc. are some important things that a child must learn as he/she grows up.
At Marigold International School, we try and imbibe some of the best attributes in our students not only by modeling the right behaviour but also by planning strategic learning sessions where they practically get to pick up such qualities. However, in the end, it’s teamwork and both parents and teachers need to work with the kids to help them learn good manners.
