Mind
your Manners
Last
Saturday, Tristan, my five-year-old son, and I were
rushing to his music class. A few steps ahead of us were
another little girl and her mum. As they entered the
classroom, the woman looked back and saw us. But instead
of holding the door open for Tristan and I, she let it
slam shut in our faces.
“Why did that lady do that to us?” Tristan asked me
rather sadly.
His query had an easy answer – “She was being rude,
dear.” However, it raised a more disturbing question in
my mind: When so many people are so casually impolite
these days, how can I teach my son that manners really do
matter?
The other day, I was at the park with my son who has busy
cycling. I noticed another child barely more than
four-years-old playing at the park with his grandfather.
They must have been playing for quite a while. When the
grandfather suggested that they return home, the boy
started shouting vulgarities at him. I was completely
shocked! The grandpa looked embarrassed and meekly waited
another 20 minutes before the boy decided he wanted to go
back.
We
all want our children to have good manners and to behave
better in public. But what many fail to realise is that
good etiquette goes far beyond saying, “please” and
“thank you”. It becomes highly essential to possess
excellent values like kindness, fairness, tolerance, and
above all, consideration for others.
Politeness
will give your child an edge that will help him or her
succeed throughout life. Kids who show respect for others
always receive a better response. When children patiently
wait their turn, don't grab, and don't interrupt, it makes
them more attractive to everyone, including teachers and
other kids.
Fortunately, it's a lot easier than you might think to
raise a child who truly values good manners. Model polite
behaviour from the start and gently prompt errant toddlers
to be polite, so that good manners become automatic even
from an early age.
Shenielle
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