I think that one of the biggest challenges parents face today is teaching good manners to their children. I think that it is tough for some parents because they, themselves, do not display good manners at home, nor in public. Some parents say that they just don't have the time to teach manners to their children. Hello?!? We are talking about the way your children are being perceived by others and how well your children can control themselves. Make the time to teach them good manners!
Others, like myself, can boast that their children are well behaved and show great manners while out in public--be it in school, in a store or just outside the house talking to a neighbor. I am happy to say that I've received hundreds of compliments from people telling me that I have the most well-mannered children. ***BUT*** that's were it stops. Once inside the house, sadly their manners are forgotten. Why is that? I'm not sure. I'm sure a pychologist would have a field day in our house. -- I'm getting off track and this is a much too deep subject to discuss right now.
I found this article,
A Pediatrician’s View of Rude Children, to be of great interest. It made me stop and think back to our last pediatrician's visit and how even though my kids were sick, they were well behaved!
I agree with Dr. Barbara Howard, who said that social skills are necessary for school success. It's shocking to me at the level of social skills (or lack there of) that many students possess today. Since becoming a room parent, I have had several opportunities over the past few years to spend time with many of the students in my children's school. Even in kindergarten -as in my daughter's case - it's easy to spot those children who have been taught manners at home. By time they reach 5th grade - as is my son's case - they are either able to handle themselves in a respectable way (although with puberty setting in, they could "wig out" for a few minutes at any given time) or they are spinning totally out of control with no respect for their teacher, their fellow students or the rules of the school.
While I'm trying to figure out how to go about stopping the "checking of their good manners at the door of our house", please read the highlighted article and let me know what you think about it.
