How to Help Kids Learn Manners .. and Use Them

Regardless of how others are in society or how other families are raising their kids, it is important for you to start thinking about how you can help kids learn manners and use them on a regular basis. When you think about the good ole days when families sat down at the dinner table as a unit, discussing their days and teaching kids how to have proper dinner manners; you wonder if your kids will be able to learn manners in our current day and age. Rest assured, your kids can learn manners and you are able to teach them how to use those manners as well, so as long as you remember the first rule to this theory –  as parents you need to set the example first. Parents who are consistent using terms such as “please” and “thank you” on a regular basis, yes, even when commanding a kid to do a chore, they are setting the precedence of how important manners are in everyday life. For example, when I'm in the house and I need to get by, I would tell Madison my 4yr old, excuse me. Just recently we were at a Shopkins event at ToysRUs, and Madison decided that she wanted to help by pushing the shopping cart. In the aisle was a lady and her daughter with their own cart, and Madison as clear as day said "Excuse me", and the lady said "sure" and moved to the side. I was so proud of her using her manners that day, in public too! So how can you help your own kids learn manners and use them?

How to Help Kids Learn Manners

• Encourage kids to say hello and goodbye when someone visits or leaves the home.
• Remind kids to say please and then thank you as well as your welcome on a regular basis.
• Teach kids to make thank you cards after every birthday party or holiday event.
• Teach kids to say excuse me, especially when interrupting a conversation, or when they need to get by.
• Teach kids not to open closed doors until they have knocked and been told to enter.
• Encourage kids to ask their siblings to do things versus demanding they help out.
• Remind kids to be okay with spilling something on accident, but that they need to clean it up.
• Be a consistent example and use encouraging words to ensure your kids use manners daily.

Now that you have some tips on how to help kids learn some manners, how can parents help the kids use these manners regularly?

The best way to start getting your kids to use the manners they have learned through family and community interaction, is to continually encourage and remind them to use those skills they have been taught. Kids are creatures of habit, that’s simply how they are wired no matter the age, as you work to continuously remind kids how to use their manners they are learning to make this a repetitive action and eventually will require no reminders. Most parents want their kids to be on their best behavior when going out to visit friends or eat dinner at a restaurant, when you start to work towards teaching these manners to your kids at home, those traits will expand beyond the home into their everyday way of life naturally.

Let's discuss: How do you teach your own kids about manners?