How to practice good manners

Teaching good manners seems like a lot of work for parents, but it’s just as important as brushing your teeth or learning to make your bed. Any child can master the art of polite behavior. You just have to give it time, it will be rewarding when other children point out your child’s respectful behavior. Here are some tips on how to help children have good manners every day… with good results.

Listening to another person

Sometimes children are more likely to listen to someone other than you. You can find friends, family, teachers or professionals to do this function. Explain why certain rules have to be followed and encourage your child to practice good manners at all times.

If, for example, a person burps at the table unintentionally, they should apologize or apologize. If the children jump on the sofa at Grandma’s house, you can explain to her that jumping on the furniture is rude. There are many daily examples that you can explain to your children so that they realize what manners are.

Use positive language

Some parents threaten their children with manners that are too strict, but that could have a counterproductive effect. The message they are sending to their children in this case is that manners is horrible learning and they have to have a hard time being polite, and this doesn’t have to be the case at all. Learning manners can be a pleasant and positive experience without punishment or threats.

Ideally, explain to children the benefits they will have once they use good manners. For example, he may be invited to birthday parties, he will be more successful among people, others will trust him – including adults. Speaking positively will always be much more motivating than using negative language.

Good manners

Try fun tricks

Imitating your child by using bad manners in a silly way will make your little one see that some things are just not acceptable. After imitating that form, teach him what is not correct and what are good manners. For example, if your child is complaining, you can exaggerate with a complaining voice and use exaggerated gestures and expressions. If you imitate that bad behavior with a smile on your face, your child will have fun. You don’t have to be a comedian all the time, but it can be fun to be able to talk to your child in a fun and playful way about what are the best manners to use and what are the appropriate behaviors.

The games of roles

You have to prepare for the various situations in which your children need to show their good manners. So that they know how to do it well, one way to achieve it is to do it through role plays, so they will already have practice with them. At home, you can represent different situations in imaginary scenarios that will later happen in real life, such as how to greet people, what to say to start a conversation, behavior in the supermarket, when you have to ask for forgiveness, etc.

Have lunch or dinner as a family

Families that have lunch or dinner together will be a more united, happy and cohesive family. They are perfect situations to practice good manners -in addition to communication-. You can learn to set the table, chew properly, have a good conversation, etc.

Involve your child

It’s always a good time to learn. When something happens in daily life, it is a good time to learn correct manners. You can do this through empathy, asking your child how he would like to be treated at certain times or how someone else would like to be treated. Let your child be the one to provide suggestions and ideas to have a different and more correct attitude.