Do you believe children today have less respect for elders and using manners is of no importance? I have found that excuse me, thank you, and please don’t seem to be a part of our children’s vocabulary these days. When did we lose this value? Teens have either cut in front of me or reached across me and never uttered a word. Today, I’m sharing parenting tips on teaching children manners.
When I was raising my daughter, manners were important. Good manners will take our children a long way. I have been baffled about some children’s interaction with their parents on various occasions. I have heard children call their parents by their first name, yell at them, just be downright disrespectful and the parent took no action.
Teaching children manners begins at home. Along with manners comes respect. Instilling manners is a sign of respect for your parents and your upbringing as well as respect for yourself. Who wants to be around rude and impolite children. These rude and impolite children will grow up to be rude and impolite adults. Here are a few tips to get your child on the road to respect and being polite:
- Please and Thank You. When you ask your child to pick up their toys, get ready for their bath etc. say please. When your child abides say thank you. Children learn by example.
- Yes Ma’am and Yes Sir. This is extremely important, especially when they are responding to seniors.
- Say Hello or Hi when you introduce them to friends, co-workers, church members or you have visitors in your home.
- Share toys, treats etc. when playing with friends or siblings.
- To Not Interrupt adult conversations unless it is an emergency.
- Table Manners. This will be important when you’re dining out or invited to a friend’s home or family gathering during the holidays. Your child needs to understand that they can not play with their food, slurp, burp, or create games with their eating utensils. If a burp does arise, teach them to say excuse me.
- Excuse Me when they need to pass in front of an adult or get around them.
- Be Positive – Say nice things about other people.
- Wash Their Hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before meals. Also, teach them to wipe their hand on a towel and not on their clothes. Teaching them to use hand sanitizer is a good idea when soap and water is not available.
- Wipe their nose with a tissue and not their hands. Also, picking their nose is improper.
- Respect – Showing respect toward adults and others. Demonstrate respect and your children will mimic you.
Using patience with your child is a must while teaching them manners. They won’t learn overnight, so it’s important that you remind them of the importance of manners often. As they get older and they have mastered the basics, you can instill other values.
You may also like Teaching Your Child Responsibilities or Guide to Teaching Children Manners.
@Petula – Yes, parents don't seem to think manners are important. I listen to children yell at their parents and just be down right disrespectful in public as well. I agree, parents act as though they have no control over their kids. We wonder why the country is in the state that it is in with our youth.
I know exactly what you are saying. I try hard to get my children to learn manners. Everyday I work with them. You see the rudeness everywhere teenagers are. Fast food places and wal-mart. Ugh cashiers. I really hope my children do not turn out rude. #meanderingMonday
Wonderful post and oh so very true! I have three children ages 11, 14, & 20 and they were all taught manners and to respect others. It was a basic requirement in our home. I have never had to be embarrassed to take them out in public, as they know how to behave properly. We have experienced children at church and every where else whose manners are extremely lacking. When mine see their behavior they look at me in amazement and say, "Mom you would never let us behave in that way!" Thank you for sharing on Meandering Mondays! Have a great week!
Really it is very nice post. I completely support your view.
There are most important thing is proper learning of good manners for children. Parents liability is too much important nowadays.
Oh don’t get me started on talking about kids, respect and manners. I talk about that all the time. I don’t know what people have been teaching their children or I guess I should say I don’t know why they haven’t been teaching them. I have experienced the same things as you.
I am surprised at the way kids at my daughter’s high school act. I mean I taught my daughter manners what happened to the other children and their parents. Even the young children – it’s crazy. Today at the pediatricians offices two little boys were yelling and standing on chairs, and their father had no control. It was so frustrating.
This is a GREAT article. Lots of people comment on how polite my kids are and they are only 4 & 2…and it's because they say please and thank you…which is kinda sad what that says for society.
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Hi Rhonda,
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Good stuff! I completely agree with you! Great post!
Hi Rhonda,
You are totally right on target! Manners are so important in day to day living and the parents who do not bother to teach their children the things they need to know are doing a diservice to their children and family. I teach my kids manners and I have to remind the little ones sometimes… This world would be a little sweeter, a little more thoughtful… a little bitter easier if we all just used some manners sometimes. Another really good read Rhonda! Keep up the good work! : )
Take care…
Lisa : )
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I do believe that a lot of parents no longer teach the basic fundamentals of being polite.
It sure is refreshing to see not all..
Thanks Rhonda 🙂
Very nice list, thank you! Good news is we are working on all of them. Our daycare provider has a saying about interrupting adults “if you are not bleeding or on fire, you don’t interrupt”. I totally agree with the teenagers now, did their parents never teach them, or did they just forget? You can bet my teenagers (when we get there) will still be using the same manners we are teaching today!