How to Teach Good Manners to Children

Children who act out in public can be a major source of embarrassment for parents. Children should be taught manners as soon as they can understand what the parents are saying. While teaching manners to the children it is important to understand that children need frequent reminders through their childhood. Manners for children can be effectively taught through positive reinforcement when the child does something right. Likewise it is best to gently point out the right things to the children if they do something wrong.

Some important pointers while teaching good manners include the following:

• Good manners can be effectively taught through common sense, consideration and custom. Custom refers to the habit or way of doing things in a particular way. For example handshake is used as a way of greeting among adults. Common sense refers to what makes sense to people while consideration is taking care about the way some other person feels.
• It is important for parents that they practice the rules and basic manners themselves so that when the children are given instructions they do follow them.
• It is important that some of the good manners that children are taught include such aspects as treating people with respect and kindness. Children should also be instructed not to stare at anyone and not to make fun of other people.
• Manner etiquettes also demand that children are instructed to put litter in its designated place and also to say please as well as thank you. Children learn good manners effectively if parents talk to them about the expected behavior. In case the child still behaves in a rude way then the parents should lead the child away from people and gently correct him/her by pointing out the bad manners.
• Table manners are particularly important and children need to be taught these manners. Children should be taught to swallow their food before talking and asking some person to pass the food that is not in front of them.
• Some other table manners that need to be taught to the children include eating food with a fork, chewing the food with their mouth closed and not stuffing food in their mouth. While teaching these manners don’t make a big deal out of it and don’t nag the kids or they might just become rather rebellious.
• Other important table manners include sitting up straight and keeping the elbows off the table. While teaching these manners allow the children the occasional spills while they are still growing up. If your children are younger then you can have them sitting facing the window so that they can entertain themselves. Praise your child when he/she uses good manners.
• While teaching the basic manners to the children give them your complete attention. Some other important good manners include telling your children that it is important that they wait till another person is done speaking before asking their question.
• Another way of teaching manners to children is by rewarding them when they behave well and telling them how good manners can reap them greater benefits than bad manners.
• There are also some etiquette classes that conduct good manners activities for teaching manners to children. You can let your children know what you expect of them before you take them outside. You can also let them know that if they behave well then they would be given special gifts or privileges.
• You can also get a good book from some library that teaches good manners. One other way in which you can teach school manners to children is by making a “good manners chart” that can list the behavior and manners that the child should follow.
• Children behave well when relatives and friends give encouragement to the child from time to time. It is also important that you sympathize with the child in case he/she behaves badly so as to understand the child’s feelings. This will also help you to guide the child regarding the expected good behavior.