How to Teach Teenagers Manners

Good manners aren't natural and have to be taught. In today's society, you see disrespectful acts on television, in movies and in your everyday life. That's why it's so easy for a teenager to get caught in the trap of rudeness. But it's not too late to teach your teenager good manners. It's a skill that he'll be able to use for the rest of his life.

Instructions

1. Find out why your child isn't polite. Some teens are polite one minute but rude the next. This may be a result of puberty. Other teens simply don't understand proper etiquette in certain situations. If that's the case, focus on those areas when you're teaching your child.

2. Set clear standards. When you are clear about what you expect from a teenager, he'll be more willing to comply.

3. Encourage basic manners first. Words like "please" and "thank you" go a long way in making a child seem mannerly. These are also easy for your teenager to pick up on and it's easy for you to enforce. Once you have this down, you can move on to more complicated manners.

4. Use discipline when necessary. Tell your teenager why he's in trouble and set an appropriate punishment.

5. Explain why good manners are important. Tell him that good manners are attractive to older adults and to his peers. And when you make good manners a habit, they will serve you throughout life. It may seem like your teen isn't listening, but he is.

6. Purchase a manners book directed at teenagers. This book uses language that they can relate to and real life examples make good manners seem more important. A book can also be used as a reference in the future.

7. Model good behavior. Your teenager is more likely to use manners when he sees you using them first.

8. Surround your teenager with good climates. When the people around him are nice and polite, it will rub off onto your teenager. This applies to his school and his friends.