How to teach children manners.

Please, Thank You, Give Me, I want, Do it..... We have ALL heard the words above, and we ALL want our children to only use the first two. So, how do we teach manners? Well, it is certainly not easy, and it is a life long task. Manners are mostly taught by example, but I will provide you with different ways to teach different types of manners, as well as give you insight as to what age groups can absorb certain nuances of manners.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Patience

1. First, remember that the ages of 2 - 5 are the most important when teaching manners. This is when your child is most receptive to learning, as they are like a little sponge, soaking up tons of information and storing it for later use. Also, this is the age when they want to please you. So, if you they ask you for Milk, you repeat, Can I have some milk, please, then they will repeat it as well. When you hand them the milk, say Thank you! It takes some time, but eventually they do get it.
2. Make learning manners fun. Make a game out of telephone answering, introduce yourself to your child and shake their hand, let them dictate a thank you note and sign it with an ink thumb print. Designate an "excuse me" week, where every time they say excuse me, they get a star, and then award a small prize for the number of stars they receive. Have a tea party or pizza party with your children's friends so they can learn to be gracious. Learning is always more fun for children when they don't realize they are learning.
3. Positive reinforcement is also very important. Let your child know when they exhibited good manners, and how proud you are of them. There is nothing a child likes to hear more, than "I'm proud of you!" It makes them feel good, and when you see that big grin, it makes you feel good as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Be a Role Model
• Start small and expand on rules
• Give reminders and reinforcement
• Ignore poor behavior and reward good performances
• Be clear and consistent in your explanations as to why
• Use a variety of approaches
• Provide lots of opportunities to practice.
• Keep a book on hand, either a children's book that you can read together, or a reference book for yourself.
• Don't have expectations that are too high. Your child will learn at his or her own pace, just don't give up!