Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
When you have a child, it’s your responsibility to teach a lot of different things. You need to teach academic concepts as well as social etiquette. At some point, your child may show behaviors which you see are rough or impolite.
Your child might start hitting another or even you! Your child might even start using impolite language he/she learned from somewhere. Never let these instances go by. These are important opportunities for your child to learn.
As your child is growing up, you need to teach him/her that they need to be polite and gentle. There are many different ways to do this. Don’t just leave your child to play with educational toys. Manners matter too.
Each parent dreams of having a polite and gentle child. If you teach these to your child early on, he/she will learn them better. Here are some ways to guide you:
Talking appropriately
First off, you need to teach your child to talk appropriately. Teach your child the “magic words” such as please, thank you, you’re welcome, and others. Keep on repeating these words to your child until they stick. Also, use these words frequently, especially if your child can hear you.
On the other side of this, also speak to your child about words which he/she should not be using. At some point, you’ll hear your precious one blurts out a word which will make you choke on your drink. Don’t make a big deal of it when it happens. Instead, sit your child down and explain why your child shouldn’t use it.
Show your child respect
The best way to teach your child respect is to show respect too. Just because your child is young, that doesn’t mean that he/she doesn’t deserve respect.
From the youngest individual to the eldest, respect matters. Teaching this concept to a young child isn’t very effective. You must show respect to get your child to learn what it means.
When your child needs space
There may be times when your child feels overwhelmed. Just like you, your child needs space once in a while. Usually, when a child needs space, he/she will hit or shout at the people around him/her.
If you notice this in your own child, teach him/her to speak up. Teach your child the right words to say when feeling crowded. Teaching something simple like, “please give me more space,” would work wonders for your child.
Be a good role model
This is a very important way to teach your child politeness and being gentle. When your child is young, he/she looks up to you. As your child grows up, he/she will learn a lot of the language and actions from you.
Whenever your child is in the room, make sure you’re acting appropriately. Behave well and use the right words so your child will use them and do them too.
Asking for something
Nowadays, a lot of children are impatient and demanding. But they aren’t born that way. Usually, parents simply give their child what they want just so they don’t have a tantrum. Never allow your child to demand something from you.
Teach your child to ask properly. Whether your child is speaking to you, your relatives or his/her friends, your child has to speak properly. When your child makes a demand, say it back to him/her in a different way. Keep doing this to help your child learn how to ask for something nicely.
Train your child to use words
There are many times when children get frustrated. Sometimes, when they cannot express themselves, children lash out at other by hitting. It’s important to teach your child to use his/her words instead of hitting.
A great way to teach this is through role play. Show your child how to react appropriately. Teach the vocabulary too. Your child will learn best from you as the parent, so think of different ways to make your child understand this.
Teaching table manners
When it comes to table manners, there’s a lot to go through. It’s important to teach the proper table manners while your child is still young. This way, he/she will keep these habits while growing up. Make mealtime a family activity.
Spend breakfast, lunch, and dinner together so your child will learn better. Act appropriately at the table and your child will follow suit. First, teach the easy stuff like not playing with food and not placing feet on the table. Then, you can gradually introduce new table manners when you see that your child is learning.
Never force your child
It’s easier to teach these concepts by showing them to your child. Never force your child to learn these things, that’s counterproductive. Although you may have to keep repeating the concepts and the lessons to your child, stay patient.
Children are learning so many things in their life so some concepts may take time. Keep reminding your child what to do and what language to use. With enough love and patience, your child is sure to learn what you’re
About The Author
I am Jim co-founder of Toys Advisors blog. I have two kids, a naughty boy and a very cute baby girl. I always want to make them happy, and I love to share my experience about parenting.
I loved this article. Very informative and well explained. I will definitely be implementing some of these tips. There is nothing worse to me than a child that is rude with no manners! I really don’t want to think or say that of my child when he is older. My parents taught me manners, the right values and most importantly respect for myself and others, especially older people. I would like to bestow the same values, lessons and guidelines to my little boy, so that he can become a well mannered and respected young man.
I often forget that children have emotions and need to go through life like we did… and because of being tired from a 9-5 job coming home to cleaning and cooking I often lose my Patience and want things done now reading this reminded me how important it is to do all of these things.