Teaching social manners to children is not easy. It is also cannot be done overnight. Social manners in children, especially the very young ones, are admirable virtues. Respectfulness in youngsters almost always reflects good family background. Parents should start teaching the basic social etiquette to their children at a young age.

Here are some suggestions on how to mold the children with right conduct:

1. Parents should be the role models. Children are natural imitators. They always try to emulate what the adults around them do and say.

2. Respect should be earned. Treat your children with respect, so that they will respect you, too.

3. As early as 3 to 4 years old, children should be taught not to interrupt conversations by adult.

4. Tell your children to address the adults with the right title, not by first names. Otherwise, children would start looking at all adults as their playmates, who can be treated casually.

5. Do not let the children throw tantrums whenever and wherever they want. If they were asking for something prohibited, do not give in when they start losing their temper, especially in public.

6. Scold your children in private so that they will retain their self-respect even when they’re being dressed down for showing bad manners, or throwing a noisy tantrum.

7. Parents should be tireless and patient on teaching children. They should be repetitive so that the basic rules of social etiquette are imprinted on the minds and hearts of their children, especially when they are having constant interaction with playmates that do not have nice manners.

8. Praise every good deed to give inspiration. Children are always eager to please their parents.

You must teach different skills one at a time. When it is time for the children to go to parties, they should be taught some table manners so that they will know how to eat properly in front of other people.

Before you allow the children to answer the telephone, they must know how to speak respectfully and must learn the right words to say or ask. Do not forget to teach them how to jot down the messages on a notebook beside the telephone. This task is for the older children.

Have you ever house shared with anyone who has no regard at all to common courtesy? Living in a house where you have to share the kitchen should not be a problem, if everyone just kept to themselves and had a little bit of respect for one another. (more…)

Why does it seem like so many youngsters today appear to have no manners or respect for anything? Is it just me, or do you get a lot of teenagers who swagger around as if they own the world and everything in it? Some older women are frightened of the groups of youths that hang around on the street corners, especially later on at night. Do they not have homes to go to? Many of the kids that are out late at night seem to be in their younger teenage years and should not be skulking around late at night in the first place! (more…)