How to Teach Kids Good Manners: The True Meaning of Etiquette and Why It's Important
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Teaching children good manners can be a challenge, but it's important to do so if we want them to grow up to be successful adults.
In this blog post, we will discuss the true meaning of good manners and why it's important to teach them to young children.
We will also provide tips on how to reinforce good manners in kids, as well as 9 rules of etiquette that every child should learn.
Finally, we will share some preschool games and activities that can help teach manners in a fun and interactive way!
The True Meaning of Good Manners
Good manners are often thought of as simply a matter of following polite conventions, such as saying "please" and "thank you."
However, good manners are actually about much more than that.
At their heart, good manners are about consideration for others.
That means being thoughtful about the impact our words and actions will have on others and behaving in a way that reflects positive regard for their feelings and well-being.
In other words, good manners are all about making sure we treat other people with kindness and respect.
When we take the time to mind our manners, we're sending the message that we care about the people around us - and that's the true meaning of good manners.
Why Teaching Manners to Young Kids Can be Challenging
It's no secret that teaching good manners to young kids can be challenging.
After all, kids are notoriously known for being messy eaters, interrupting conversations, and forgetting to say please and thank you.
However, there are a few key reasons why teaching good manners to young kids can be particularly challenging.
First, kids have a short attention span and are easily distracted, which makes it difficult for them to learn and remember new rules.
Second, kids are naturally self-centered and often don't see the need to observe good etiquette unless they're directly benefiting from it.
Finally, good manners require practice and repetition in order to become second nature, but kids often resist doing things over and over again.
Despite these challenges, teaching basic good manners to young kids is important because it helps them develop social skills and learn to respect others.
With a little patience and perseverance, parents can successfully instill good manners in their kids.
Why It's Important to Teach Good Manners to Young Children
Good manners are an important part of any child's upbringing.
Teaching your preschoolers good manners will benefit them in a number of ways.
Good manners will help them succeed at school.
A child who is polite and well-mannered is more likely to have good behavior and get along with their classmates and teachers.
They will also be more likely to participate in class discussions and activities and get easily accepted into leadership roles.
It will help your child build social relationships.
A child who behaves politely and respectfully will be more popular with their peers. This will improve their self-confidence and they will also be more likely to make friends easily.
Here is an article on Simple Games and Activities to Boost Your Child's Social Skills
Good manners will set your child up for success in adulthood.
A polite and well-mannered adult is more likely to be successful in their professional life.
They will also be more likely to have positive relationships with their colleagues and clients.
9 Rules of Etiquette to Teach Children
Here are 9 basic rules of etiquette that every child should learn:
1. Say Please and Thank You.
One of the simplest, yet most important things you can do to teach your children good manners is to make sure they say please and thank you.
These two little words can go a long way in making sure your children are polite and well-mannered.
There are a few things you can do to make sure your children use these words regularly.
Model the behavior yourself.
Whenever you ask for something or receive something, be sure to say please and thank you.
Point out when other people use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.
This will help your children to recognize the importance of these phrases.
Praise your children when they use, please and thank you.
A little encouragement will go a long way in helping them to make these phrases a part of their everyday vocabulary.
2. Be Respectful of Others.
One of the most important things you can teach your children is to be respectful of others.
Respect is a cornerstone of any healthy relationship and teaching your children to be respectful will help them build strong, lasting relationships with the people in their lives.
There are many ways you can teach your children to be respectful.
One way is to model respect yourself.
When you show respect for your spouse, your children, your friends, and even strangers, you set a good example for your children to follow.
You can also talk to your children about what respect looks like and why it’s important.
Help them to understand that respect is about valuing others and treating them the way you want to be treated.
Encourage your children to practice respect in their everyday lives.
Encourage them to use kind words, listen carefully when others are speaking, and treat others with courtesy and consideration.
By teaching your children to be respectful of others, you’ll help them build the foundation for a lifetime of strong relationships.
3. Use Good Table Manners.
There's nothing more embarrassing than a child who behaves badly in public, especially when it comes to table manners.
As a parent, you can set a good example by modeling proper etiquette yourself.
You can also teach your children the basics of good table manners so that they can behave with confidence in any dining situation.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Encourage your children to sit up straight and use their napkins.
Teach them to take small bites and chew with their mouth closed.
Explain the importance of using utensils properly and not making noise while chewing.
Encourage them to be polite and say "please" and "thank you."
With a little practice, your children will be able to master the art of good table manners. And who knows, they may even enjoy it!
4. Clean Up After Yourself.
Teaching your children to clean up after themselves is an important life skill that will benefit them in the long run.
It instills a sense of responsibility and helps to promote good hygiene habits.
Start by teaching them to put their toys away when they're done playing with them.
You can also encourage them to help with simple chores around the house, such as dusting or vacuuming.
As they get older, you can give them more responsibilities, such as doing the laundry or taking out the trash.
Instilling these habits from an early age will help your children to be more independent and organized adults.
5. Teach Your Children How to Properly Greet Others.
It's important to teach your children how to properly greet others, whether they're shaking hands, giving a hug, or just saying hello.
This shows respect for the other person and helps to put them at ease.
It's also a good way to practice social skills and build relationships.
There are a few things to keep in mind when teaching your children how to greet others.
Make sure they understand the difference between polite and impolite behavior.
Teach them to always make eye contact and smile.
Remind them to be aware of personal space and not to invade someone else's space without permission.
With a little practice, your children will be greeting others like pros in no time!
6. Remind Your Children to Use Their Indoor Voices When Necessary.
It's important to teach your children to practice good manners from a young age.
One way to do this is by reminding them to use their indoor voices when necessary.
Explain to them that while it's okay to be loud and silly sometimes, there are other times when it's important to be quieter.
For example, when they're in a library or at a restaurant.
Help them to understand that using their indoor voice is a matter of being respectful to others.
If they're not sure when they should use their indoor voice, remind them to ask you or another adult for help.
With your guidance, your children will soon learn when it's appropriate to use their indoor voices.
7. Teach Your Children the Importance of Taking Turns and Sharing.
One of the simplest but most important things you can do to teach your children better manners is to teach them the importance of taking turns and sharing.
This will help them not only in their interactions with others but also in their development as individuals.
When children learn to take turns and share, they learn patience and consideration for others.
They also learn how to compromise and how to resolve conflict.
In addition, taking turns and sharing helps children develop a sense of responsibility for their belongings and the belongings of others.
By teaching your children to take turns and share, you are helping them to develop the skills that they need to be successful in life.
Here is a helpful article-How to Teach Kids Sharing Skills
8. Mind Our Words.
This means using kind and respectful language at all times, avoiding foul language, and not making hurtful comments about others.
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9. Be Considerate of Others.
This means teaching them to think about how their actions will affect others and to always try to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
For example, if they are playing with a friend's toy, they should be careful not to break it. If they are at a friend's house, they should be sure to say please and thank you.
By teaching your child to be considerate of others, you will help them to develop good manners that will last a lifetime.
Teaching these basic rules of etiquette to children will help them develop into well-mannered and considerate adults.
How to Reinforce Good Manners in Kids
Here are a few tips for reinforcing key manners in kids:
• Lead by Example.
The best way for teaching children manners is to model them yourself. Whenever you are around your children, make sure to use good manners yourself.
Here is an article How To Be A Good Role Model To Kids-15 Characteristics
• Make it a Game.
Kids learn and remember something if they're having fun while doing it.
Many games and activities can be used to teach good manners. Some are listed below.
• Use Positive Reinforcement.
When your child uses good manners, make sure to praise them and give them positive attention.
This will encourage them to keep using good manners.
Here is a helpful article: How to Use Positive Reinforcement for Better-Behaved Kids
• Be Consistent.
It's important to be consistent with your expectations for good manners.
If you let your child get away with bad manners sometimes, they will start to think it's okay.
• Have Patience.
Teaching good manners takes time and patience. Don't get discouraged if your child doesn't seem to be getting it right away. Just keep working on it and eventually they will learn.
Preschool Games and Activities to Teach Manners.
Here are a few fun games and activities that can be used for teaching kids’ manners and social skills:
Polite Conversation:
This game is played by sitting in a circle and taking turns talking to the person next to you.
The child who is talking gets to hold an object and then pass it to whoever is next to talk.
The goal is to have a polite conversation without interrupting or talking over each other.
Gently remind children if they get too excited or impatient to wait for their turn to speak.
Please and Thank You:
This game can be played with a group of children or just one child.
The goal is to say please and thank you as often as possible as children play.
For example, you can say, "Please pass me the toy" or "Thank you for passing me the toy".
You can also make it more challenging by adding good etiquette in everyday situations such as, "Thank you for opening the door for me" or "Please excuse me".
As children get to practice more, they will become more apt at using their manners in everyday life.
Help a Friend:
This is a great game to teach children about being considerate and helpful.
It can be played with two or more children.
One child starts by pretending to need help with something such as tying their shoes or reaching for something high up.
The other child(ren) then comes over and helps the first child.
The goal here is to help children practice using language such as "How can I help You? or May I help you with.........." or "Can you please help me with...... " and then proceeding to help out in the ways suggested
Playing Restaurant:
This is a fun game that can be played with a group of children.
It helps children to practice using please and thank you in various situations.
One child will play the role of the waiter/waitress and the other children will be customers.
Customers will need to remember to say please when ordering and thank you when receiving their food.
This game can be made more challenging by teaching children another social etiquette when in a public place.
For example, talking in a quiet, calm voice, staying seated while eating, eating with mouth closed, and using utensils to eat.
This activity can also be done with actual food.
Just have a picnic lunch outside or have a special indoor picnic.
Use this opportunity to talk about and practice good table manners.
Make sure to talk about what basic table manners are being used while they are eating.
For example, "I see that you are using your fork to eat the chicken, good job!" or "You are using your napkin to wipe your mouth, great manners!".
Helping Bee:
After activities or playtime get children to choose a color of block/stick/paper and delegate a chore for each color.
For example, red for packing away all the dinosaurs, blue for sweeping up the cut paper, and yellow for wiping up the table.
This is a great idea for teaching children how to be considerate of others and responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
Furthermore, it helps to develop a sense of community and work together as a team.
Use Visual Reminders
Young children are visual learners.
Putting up expected behavior charts can help them understand and practice behavior that is expected of them.
Here is a FREE download to get you started.
Simply print and put it up on the wall where your child can easily refer to it when needed.
Make sure to discuss the behavior expectations using the chart so your child understands its exact purpose.
Here is another helpful article that for visual learners How To Manage Children's Behaviour With Daily Routine Charts. You can download a FREE routine chart here.
Board Games
Board games teach children patience and turn-taking.
It helps children improve social and emotional skills.
Games such as Candy land and Chutes and Ladders are great for young children.
Conclusion
Teaching kids good manners can be challenging, but it's important to do so they can learn how to be respectful and considerate of others.
There are many games and activities that can be used to teach children manners.
Try out a few and see which ones work best for your child.
Remember to have patience and keep reinforcing the importance of good manners.
What are some other games or activities that you use to teach your child good manners? Leave a comment below and let us know. We would love to hear from you.
FAQ
Q: What is the best age to start teaching kids good manners?
A: There is no one answer to this question as every child develops at a different rate. However, most experts agree that around age three or four is a good time to start teaching basic manners.
Q: Why is it important to teach children good manners?
A: There are many reasons why it's important to teach children good manners. Good manners show respect for others, and they can help kids make friends and feel more comfortable in social situations. Additionally, good manners can lead to better success in school and in the workplace later in life.
Q: What are some basic manners that you can teach kids?
A: Some basic manners that you can teach kids include saying please and thank you, using indoor voices, staying seated while eating, eating with mouth closed, and using utensils to eat. You can also teach children to be considerate of others by helping them understand the importance of taking turns, sharing, and cleaning up after themselves.
Q: How can I make sure my child remembers to use good manners?
A: There are a few things you can do to help your child remember to use good manners. Try using visual reminders, such as behavior charts or posters, to remind them of expected behaviors. You can also teach them manners through games and activities. Finally, make sure to praise your child when they use good manners so they know that you appreciate their efforts.
Q: My child is having trouble using good manners. What should I do?
A: If your child is having trouble using good manners, try breaking the rules down into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, if your child is having trouble using utensils to eat, start by teaching them how to hold a fork and then move on to other utensils. Additionally, make sure to be patient with your child and praise them when they make an effort to use good manners. Finally, if you're still having trouble, consider seeking out professional help, such as speech therapy or counseling.
