Monday, September 1, 2014

National Children's Good Manners Month

National Children's Good Manners MonthBack-to-school time is a great time to start fresh with your child's behavior training. Good manners should start at home. Unfortunately if parents don't know how to behave, then children rarely have a chance to learn etiquette skills. Nowadays, most parents send their children off to daycare or school with the attitude of "You fix 'em--I don't have time."

Parents should take responsibility and teach their children how to behave before they send them off to school. Remember that today's children are tomorrow's leaders. Here's some tips that might help you get started teaching your child how to behave:

~Teach your child to share with others.
~Teach your child to wait their turn.
~Teach your child not to interrupt when others are speaking.
~Teach your child the importance of being honest.
~Teach your child the importance of good sportsmanship...not everyone will be a winner and children need to know that when they do not win, it's not the end of their world! Children should be taught how to lose gracefully!

Here's a couple of etiquette books I recommend to parents of small children and teenagers:

For little girls...this one is just the best...White Gloves and Party Manners, by Marjabelle Young (Stewart) and Ann Buchwald
Stand Up, Shake Hands, Say "How Do You Do?" by Marjabelle Young Stewart and Ann Buchwald...an excellent book for little boys

Teen MannersFrom Malls to Meals to Messaging and Beyond, by Cindy Post Senning and Peggy Post...a must-have for teenagers. This book answers questions that come up in real life.


Any of these books would make a great gift for a child or teenager. Even better, study the book with them and brush up on your own etiquette skills!
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6
Thank you so much for stopping by today.

4 comments:

  1. Although from a poor family, my Georgia-born mother taught me the importance of always saying , "Yes, Ma'am; No, Ma'am; etc.". Imagine my shock when a colleague from Mississippi told the story of her son being reprimanded by another teacher for using such polite terms. Also, I shocked my own students when I addressed an administrator with "Sir." They couldn't understand the concept that he was my supervisor as well as my elder--to say nothing of a fellow human.

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    1. Kathy,
      This never ceases to amaze me, especially coming from people in the South! Lord have mercy!

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  2. Love that you teach/taught this important information. Our society as a whole could use a refresher course in manners and etiquette.xx

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