As good parents, we all want our son or girl to be a good kid who always behaves politely and gently. However, sometimes we just blame our children for their fault by scolding and punishing them. However, that only makes the situation worse. It is important to know that all children are so innocent that they cannot know what is wrong and right or why it is a bad behavior. They model others’ behaviors and always be in a stage of learning without knowing whether it is good for bad.
Therefore, if you want to raise an angel who grows up into a great person, it is high time for you to teach your child right and wrong things. It seems easy but you should not do it too late. This is because when the kids developed their own characters and habits, it will be difficult for you to change. In spite of your busy life and overwhelming schedule, it is recommended to spend your time with your kids and teaching them some basic good manners they should know before the age of 10.
Good manners will helps your kids to socialize, make friends, and get loves and appreciation from others. If your kids show their good manners, they will become happy and adorable, helping them to be acceptable in their life. This article on True Remedies is focused on the basic good social manners for parents to teach their kids from the very beginning.
29 Good Social Manners For Parents To Teach Their Kids
1. Say Please And Thank You
Teach your children to say please whenever they want someone to do something and say thank you whenever someone does something for them. When a child of three or four says “please” and “thank you”, they always receive the smiles and attention. You need to tell them that it is a positive behavior that means they are getting a lot of loves. Practices will build children’s authentic empathy, which contributes to a child’s emotional and social development.
2. Do Not Interrupt When Adults Are Talking
Let your kids know that interrupting when someone is talking is an impolite behavior and that will make everyone annoyed. It is important to teach your kids how to keep the virtue of patience and wait until their turn.
3. Make Introductions
You also need to teach your kids how to introduce themselves to other people. This is an essential habit at school, at home, in their future career and he rest of their lives.
4. Stand Up When An Elder Enter The Room
This is an effective way for your kids to show their respect when their aunts, uncles, and grandparents enter the room or when any visitors come to the home.
5. Shake Hands
You should teach children to shake hands and make eye contact as well as introducing with a word of welcoming when any visitors come to the home or when they meet a new person. That will create a good first impression.
6. Knock On The Doors Before Entering
Walking right into the doors that are shut is an impolite behavior. Therefore, let your kids acknowledge that they will be a good kid if they knock on the doors politely and wait for a response before entering the room.
7. Open The Door For Others
A good child will open and hold the door for their dads, their mothers, their peers, and strangers. When your child does that, do not stop them. Instead, encourage them for having a good manner. It is great for you to teach them to say “After you” politely when they open doors for someone.
8. Teach Them To Serve People Nicely When They Come To The Home
Make it become your child’s habit. When someone comes to your home, let your child welcome the guest and say something like “Please come in”, “Welcome to my home”, “May I take your coat”, “Would you like any drink”, or “Let me take your bag”. This is a vital lesson your child should be taught at an early age.
9. Be Nice And Polite To Someone Who Serves
When your child talks to the cashier or server at the restaurant, tell them to make eye contact and stop playing a game or doing something else. Pay attention to their saying. When your child is given food or change, let them say thank you. Let your child practice this habit when he or she is at school, at home or everywhere. This is because the manner shows your child’s respect toward other people.
10. Say “Sorry”
Apart from “please” and “thank you”, giving a sincere apology when they do something wrong is a basic great manner for parents to teach your kids from the early age. Instead of using this apology too often, they need to know when and where is suitable and needed to say sorry. By saying sorry properly, your child will gain great empathy that contributes to their manner development.
11. Cover Their Mouth When Coughing Or Sneezing
You should teach your kids to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Let them know picking their nose in public is unpleasant and rude. They should stop doing it if they want to be good children.
12. Say “Excuse Me”
Children are born with the natural impatience, so it is important for us to tell our kids to be patient and say “excuse me” when they want to ask permission to talk. This is a basic but critical manner your kids should know at an early age. Furthermore, they also need to know when and where they can ask permission to interrupt a conversation and when and where they are not allowed to.
13. Do Not Make Fun Of Someone
Children are innocent but they often talk about what they have in their minds without thinking twice. Therefore, if you want to raise a good kid, you need to let them know it is never okay if they make fun of other people in private or in public because it can hurt the feeling of someone.
14. Polite Phone Etiquette
The way your child is talking also needs to be taught carefully. Having a polite phone etiquette is one of the basic good manners every child should practice. Talking on the phone, they should be silent and pay attention to what the other is talking. That will create a good impression.
15. Show Their Respect To Adults
Elders have lived for a long time, so they have great experience and wisdom. Therefore, being a good kid, your child needs to learn how to respect adults including grandparents, parents, teachers and other elders they meet. To do this, you have to be a model for them. You should serve food to the elder first before serving to other people on the table. When you are on the bus, you should give your seat to an older adult.
16. Remember Someone’s Name
How do you feel when a child can recognize and remember your name? It is happy, isn’t it? When a child remembers someone’s name, he or she will have a good impression. Therefore, it is great to teach your kids to remember people’s name or family member’s name.
17. Do Not Stare Or Point At People
Let your kids know that staring and pointing at someone is unpleasant and rude. It is important for you to be aware of someone’s emotional space and feeling. You can do it by asking how they feel when someone points or stares at them. It is the first step to get them to learn good manners.
18. Be Kind To The Disabled
Children are impartial but they are curious about everything around them. It is both good and bad. Curiosity encourages them to learn. But if you do not control, they may point and stare, feel scared and ask questions loudly about the disabled. Therefore, teach them to treat people politely and equally.
19. Be Helpful And Compassionate
Teaching your kids to show their compassion and be helpful is a must if you want to let them know the basic good manners for kids. This manner is shown through simple things like helping the elders carry the heavy box, holding the doors for someone, giving their hands to someone who needs and helping teachers or parents with chores.
20. Be Ready To Share
This manner is important when your kids play with their friends or their siblings. You should teach them to share their food or toys with each other. Let them know sharing is a sign of caring. The act of sharing when they play with their friends also adds fun.
21. Clean Up The Mess They Make
It is common when a kid leaves a mess when he or she eats or they throw their toys and clothes improperly after playing. Instead of cleaning up or scolding them, you should leave them to do it by themselves. Teach them to wash the dishes after eating and placing their toy in the right place after using. Furthermore, it is also a good idea for you to ask them to help with some simple household chores. That is one of good manners for parents to teach your kids and it also makes them become a responsible person.
22. Be Honest
Honesty is a good character your kids need to know from a young age. Never tell the lies because it can lose the trust and values of people. Honesty is not only the best policy for a good child but also contributes to their moral development. Make sure that they do what they have said. When you find out they are lying, just tell them to sit down and explain the importance of telling the truth. Be firm and patient.
23. Avoid Using Foul Language
Foul language is always considered unpleasant and disrespectful. Unfortunately, children often copy that language from someone without knowing its meaning. Being a good parent who raises a good child with great manners, you should teach your kid not to use foul language in front of other people. Tell them it is bad and explain the reason why.
24. Have A Nice Conversation
If your child often yells, scream, and shout when they communicate with each other and even the elders, you should correct them immediately. No matter how irritated or angry they are, tell them to speak politely and softly. Furthermore, teach them not to interrupt when someone is talking. Wait patiently until they get their turn. Practice it often at school, at home and other places until it becomes their habit.
25. Be A Good Guest When Visit Someone’s Home
Kids should be taught to be kind, polite, and considerate when visiting someone’s home. You need to teach them to follow and adapt to the other family’s habit and schedule. Never be angry or irritated when someone serves the food they do not like. Never be fussy or stubborn when they are a guest.
26. Sit Silently and Attentively Through Movies, Plays, And Musical Performances
It is important for your child to show their respect to other people in the public. Especially when you take your child to watch a movies, a play, or a musical performance, they should sit silently and attentively even if they are bored.
27. Wash Hands Before Meals
It is not only one of good manners for kids but also good hygiene. Washing hands before the meals can help prevent the spreading of pollutants and germs. Furthermore, someone sitting with you and your child on the same table also feels pleasant, clean and safe.
28. Do Not Gang Up Or Bully Against Someone
Let your kids know it is not okay to gang up or bully someone because it can hurt someone’s feeling and emotion. It also leads to some unwanted consequences.
29. Do Not Show Negative Emotion Too Often and In Front Of The Public
It is alright for your child to tell their parents their feelings and emotions especially when they are not feeling okay. But it is not right when they make a public display of their negative emotion in the wrong way.
Important Manners For Parents To Teach Their Kids
As a good parent, you are responsible to acknowledge the importance of learning good manners for kids and make sure your child gains the best for her or his development. Here are a few points and useful techniques to help your child learn good manners:
- Make a role model in front of kids. Even when you are frustrated and irritated, do not let your manners worsen in front of your children
- Let children practice at home. Good social manners such as knocking on doors, being polite, cleaning up the mess, having a nice conversation and so on should be practiced repeatedly until these manners become their habits and get fixed in the child’s mind
- Encourage your child with positive words when they do something right and display a good manner. Children always love praise and encouragement
- Correct your child immediately when they do something wrong. When they communicate with their friends, if they interrupt or show their anger, you should stop them gently and tell them to do the right thing. If your child is sensitive, you can talk to them in private later
- Be patient and calm. Your children may lose their good manners and forget what you taught many times. But getting angry at your child and losing your temple will worsen the situation and make your children feel negative. When you teach your child good manners, the important thing is to keep patient and calm. Doing this, your child will be positive and try their best the next time
- Do not have your biases. If you want to teach your child how to respect other people no matter which genders, groups, religions, and nationalities they are, ensure that you do not carry the same biases yourself.
- Use positive and polite words with her or him. You are a role model. Therefore, words such as “thank you”, “please”, “excuse me” and “sorry” should be practiced at home by everyone. Your child will copy your behaviors and words. Therefore, it is important for you to create a good environment around them
Teaching good manners is an important parenting skill that will make your child become a better human being. The earlier you teach your children, the easier they can adapt. A polite and considerate child always get loved and good impression from other people. So, start teaching your kids good manners now.
