Good manners differentiate children from each other.
I was struck by this at an EQ4KIDZ group I taught yesterday. I handed their new workbooks out and each child received it with a polite, “Thanks!”
Sadly, that stood out! So many children rarely say “Thank you” these days and this makes them appear ungracious and ill mannered. Often they’re not- they just don’t know about manners and where to use them.
Kids will not naturally know that picking their nose in public, interrupting, commenting on people’s size etc is rude. They are just being kids.
We have to teach them the social niceties because if we don’t they will be disliked by adults and children alike. Manners are like the oil that helps smooth social interactions and while they may seem rather senseless when you analyse them, they DO have a positive effect. Good manners will always get a better reaction than bad ones!
There are simple manners that promote consideration and respect and these can be taught from a very early age- often as young as 2 years. Help your child to stand out as being kind, polite and considerate. Good manners need to become automatic and if taught well, will become life-long habits.
Children are fascinated to find out about the history of manners and eager to learn how to use them appropriately. We weave them into our EQ4KIDZ program to help children reinforce and strengthen these important habits!
If you model them and insist on them in your homes and while in public or visiting, children will gradually acquire them and this enables them to interact with ease and confidence- great gifts to give our children!
For more information have a look at these links.
http://www.familyeducation.com/life/manners/how-rude-age-age-guide-teaching-kids-manners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq5h3C4LElE
