It's More Than Just House Rules



Teaching a child to be polite is not a sergeant's drill you tick off every time you see some lapses in manners, nor is it telling them what to do. It is spending time or playing games with the them like rocking those old hand-made kids' rocking chairs for a child after the roughhousing.

Good manners are not always about etiquette. It is about being caring for the feelings of others, being a part of a team, and giving heartfelt compliments. A child can learn to be kind by sharing his toys or allowing some other kid to ride one of his favorite kids' rocking chairs without throwing a tantrum.

Teaching good manners starts at home, not in school. If you want to teach your child the proper way to treat people and how to behave at meal times, you should always serve as the model of deportment.

The New Breed of Children

A study shows that children of the 1970s were more polite than the children of the 1980s. In the age of the Internet, children are becoming engrossed in their interests and lack the social skills to develop basic courtesy inside and outside of the home.

Parents who dote on their children too much create wrong impressions. Instead of teaching children to cope with disappointments, they march to the school and berate the teacher if their child was not chosen for a school play. Parents should be able to teach their children how to accept failures, not march to the battlefront and wage a protest.

Some parents also forget to teach their children to respect the rights of others. They don't correct boisterous children in hotels because they believe that they've paid for every amenity and that their children are entitled to everything in the name of the dollar. This type of parents are rearing tiny monsters who won't be able to get good jobs or nurture lasting and meaningful friendships because of nasty attitude and behavior.

In general, parents are to blame for raising unruly and boorish kids. Perhaps these parents grew up with boorish parents, too. The cycle is repeated, and unless they do something about it, good manners and courtesy will be extinct like the traditional kids' rocking chairs.

How To Raise Polite Kids

Lay down the rules for meal times, answering the phone and the door, greeting visitors, and treating friends. Instead of yelling that he has to close his mouth when he chews his food, tell the child in a nice way that it's the number one rule at the table to chew food with mouth closed.

This wouldn't be an affront, but children take to this approach better than being called names. Prompt them to do the right things and always praise them for every act of courtesy they show to family and friends. They'll be able to share toys gladly with other kids, take turns using the kids' rocking chairs, and co-exist harmoniously with other children and adults.

As adults, they will always be the most sought-after people. With your guidance you'll be raising polite children and help make the world become a better place. By remembering the rules you have outlined for every scenario, they'll be putting to work good manners that will serve them in good stead in the future. No, well-mannered children won't be extinct like those kids rocking chairs'.