In the fast-paced lives of today, parents do not always have time to focus on their kids’ etiquette. Rather than reinforcing some manners into a restless child, they hand over a tech device to the kid so that they themselves can relax. Such a behavior enables kids to adopt what they see on social media, which often results in rude attitude among kids.
Many experts believe that teaching manners to kids provides them with tools succeed as adults. Children are receptive to information from an early age so inculcating good manner in them is essential. Parents need to realize that they need to refurbish their parenting skills from the moment their kid is born. This is easier said than done as most parents do not have an idea of where to start from when teaching manners to their kids.
For parents who aren’t sure where to begin with, here are some effective ways that can help them teach good manners to their kids.
- Be a role model yourself
A child imitates his parents. most of the character traits of a child are adopted from his father or mother. So if you want your child to adopt good manners, do the same yourself. You have to take the first step to teach your child. He will learn from the way you treat people and respond to them. When you mistreat someone or shout at them, your child might also do the same. So you have to be very careful around your child.
- Provide a positive reinforcement
Who doesn’t love a praise? Kids become happier and excited when parents praise them on an accomplishment. Often a times, parents ignore the small achievements of their kids and only respond to their undesirable behavior by reprimanding them. This may result in rebellious behavior among kids. When your child performs a positive action, applaud him by hugging him, patting on the back, or taking him for ice creams or movies. This will encourage the kid to be polite and respectful.
- Be patient while teaching
Kids don’t always listen to whatever the parents say. This does not mean that you show your frustration and agitation to kids. Learn to coach. You have to be calm and patient when teaching manners to kids. Most parents easily give up to their kids’ tantrums. Bad habits in kids are difficult to change. You might have a first-hand experience at slammed doors, swearing and shouting, tech addiction, etc. It is indeed a challenging task for parents to patiently teach self-control to their kids.
- Correct him/her on the spot
The biggest mistake that most parents do is correcting their child in front of others. You must understand that kids also have a self-respect. They don’t mind you correcting them but don’t do that when there are other people. Also when you correct your child on his unapproved behavior, do that politely. Don’t overreact on your kid’s faults like a madman. If you have an overly sensitive child, bed pardon of those around you and correct him privately.
- Teach courteous words early
Don’t wait for your child to enter school to teach him manners. Start adding polite words like ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’ to his vocabulary. Even toddlers must know these small niceties. It’s not necessary for your child to know the meaning of these words at such a young age. But do make sure how important these words are. Begin practicing polite words at home and teach your child to use them with strangers and adults. Some greetings must also be taught for social interactions.
- Don’t force the manners
There’s always a right time for things. You can’t lecture your kids about good manners 24/7. Such an authoritative behavior will push them away from learning etiquettes. Parents must know that it is occasionally okay to ignore niceties, especially when home. If your child doesn’t want to say ‘please’, give him what he wants rather than rigidly adhering to your manner requirements. Make sure the kid enjoys using polite words without any sense of parental fear. This is the biggest achievement of you as a parent.
- Lose prejudice and speak well
If you are opinionated about a particular person or ideology, make sure you do not hold it on a public point. Otherwise your kids will adopt the same. Teach them to judge people by their character and not by their race, religion, or class. There are also parents who sabotage the speaking patterns of their kids. And children as usual mimic their parents. So you should be well-spoken before you teach the same to your kids.
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