As parents, we spend a lot of time teaching our children. From arithmetic to cooking, we share much of our knowledge with our kids. However, one of the most important things that you’ll ever teach your kids are manners. Not only are children expected to have good manners, but also being polite, respectful and using courtesy words like please and thank you will help your children throughout their whole lives.
Here, we discuss why it’s so important to teach your child good manners and how it can help them throughout their lives.
Manners teach respect
Manners aren’t just a formality – they really matter. Having good manners will teach children respect and will help others respect them. Saying thank you shows appreciation, while saying please shows thoughtfulness. Manners also display gratitude instead of entitlement, which can speak wonders about a child’s personality.
Manners are always appreciated
No matter the age, gender, sex or nationality of a person, manners are appreciated and recognized. Age or culture barriers can be broken with politeness and using manners to communicate effectively. Apologizing when it’s needed is an important manner that all adults will respect in a child. Children make mistakes, but knowing when and how to apologize can more than often make up for them.
People remember when others are polite
That being said, a child with good manners is always remembered in a positive light. In school, on teams, and in future situations like the workplace and college, people with manners are always thought about fondly. Teaching your children manners when they’re young will instill these habits in them for life, and they will be that person that’s remembered for always being courtesy and polite.
Manners open up opportunities
From teachers to coaches and friends to bosses, good manners can make or break an opportunity for your child. Let’s say your child is applying for their very first job. If he or she and another candidate have the exact same credentials, the job may likely go to whoever was most polite. Especially if the job is in customer service, retail or fast food – the most common first jobs.
How to teach manners
Your child’s future and reputation depend on your teaching them good manners. Please, thank you, and I’m sorry are just the beginning. Each person on earth that has good manners is helping us becoming a more helpful, polite society full of well-rounded, good mannered people.
But how can you get your child to learn good manners? Thankfully, it’s not as difficult as it may seem. Here are a few strategies that may help:
- Use positive reinforcement to praise your child’s use of good manners
- Model polite behavior through your own actions and the actions of others in your family
- Role-play difficult situations that may test your child’s use of good manners
- Explain to your child why manners are so important, stressing that it’s good to be polite to other people
- Don’t expect too much—always remember that your child is young and still learning
At Steadfast Academy, we understand how important good manners. That’s why we always try to instill good manners in all of our children. Contact us today to learn more!