Unmannerliness
- Trying to talk with a mouth full of food
- Eating with elbows resting on the table
- Answering the phone “yeah”
- Accepting a gift without saying “Thank You”
- Leaving at the end of a party without offering to help clean
- Butting in to a
conversation
What Parents Can Do
The “rules of society” have changed over the years, but that doesn’t make them any less important. In fact, good manners and etiquette are gaining new notice now that is has become more and more common to see and hear about acts of immorality.
Many of today’s parents grew up in a generation when people behaved more liberally and there was opposition to “rules” and “the system.” They didn’t necessarily follow the advice of Miss Manners, and as a result, many children who model what they see, are less mannerable too.
But in order for people to live together in society peacefully and respectfully there have to be some rules — many of which are based on manners. Children must be taught the importance of civility and trained to behave according to certain standards.
The new interest in manners and etiquette training has sparked the creation of several schools, courses and workshops. These programs are great for parents who may not be able to spend a lot of time focusing on social mores, but should not be a substitute. More importantly the do’s and the don’ts should be put into practice, and a child given praise when done properly.
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Teaching manners at a young age is a good way for children to develop manners as a habit. Although small kids will not understand most good manner practices, there are some simple things that toddlers and young children can be taught. For example, learning to say easy words and phrases like “please”, “excuse me”, and “thank you” are stepping stones to becoming well mannered. Exposing them to stories about favorite characters and lessons they have learned about is another way to familiarize them with manners. Here are some suggestions: 1) Berenstein Bears Forget Their Manners, 2) Clifford’s Manners, and 3) Lamb Chop in the Land of No Manners (Video).
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Resources
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1) Miss Manners’ Guide to Rearing Perfect Children by Judith Martin 2) Miss Best’s Etiquette for Young People by Alyse Best 3) Natl.
Parent Information Network (“Resources for Parents” Link) |
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more information on parenting issues contact us: Connecting with Kids |