20 Feb
2007
We hear over and over how kids today just don’t have the same respect for adult authority as previous generations. Why is that? I don’t think we can point our finger to any one factor. Somehow they seem to pick up very early that they can talk back to their parents and challenge authority. Some do it once in awhile and others do it consistently.
How much importance do we put on plain, old fashioned manners? I think we would agree that we can excuse a lot of things if a person is polite and respectful. Most of us have little tolerance for rudeness from anyone of any age. In fact it’s hard to look past it.
What is the best way to teach manners? We can simply remind our kids to say “please”, “thank-you”, “excuse-me”, “I’m sorry” and ”may I?”. With little ones, it takes a lot of reminding and it takes being consistent. Probably the most powerful way to teach manners is to role model exactly the kind of behavior you want to see. It’s especially effective when you are polite to your kids and they hear you being polite to other people. They copy all the behavior they see. Also, acknowledge them when they use their manners. Always, the behavior that gets noticed is the behavior we will see more of.
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