25 Good Ways Children Should Know (Part 1)

Good customs that children should know are taught from the earliest years of life. When they start to speak their first words, it’s time to teach them how to respond to certain situations.

Below we will list some behaviors that every parent would like to see in their children. But remember, these are behaviors they learn by imitating you. Instead of telling what actions you expect your children to do, show with your example how to act in each situation.

The reasons to teach your children manners

Good manners are correct habits that fit perfectly in all contexts and all circumstances. If you make a little effort to encourage them during the first few years of life, these habits will be automatic in the future.

• Good education encourages social development. Social skills are tools that children need to reach the world successfully.

• Children learn to imitate positive role models. By repeating all kind actions, they will become aware of people who can bring positive things into their own lives. Therefore, you should avoid rude or vulgar behavior when you are in their presence and also apply in your life each of the actions that you ask them to perform.
• Kindness is not an innate virtue of children. It takes practice and continuous effort. A child with good manners can be more disciplined, be more tolerant of suggestions that other people make, which can affect their lives positively.

Good customs that children should know

1. Whenever you are asking anyone for a favor, when asking someone what time it is, or when buying something in stores or supermarkets, for example, the first thing you should say is “please”.
2. When receiving a gift or something you asked a person, it is essential to say thank you.
3. When two or more people (whether adults or children) are talking, you must wait for them to finish before joining the conversation. The only reason to interrupt other people’s conversations is when there is an emergency situation.
4. When you want to catch someone else’s attention, it’s not right to try to get it by screaming or taking your clothes off. The most correct way to address the other person is to use a polite word like “sorry”.
5. When there is any doubt about the correct way to carry out a certain action, an adult should be asked for authorization or indications. In this way, you avoid unnecessarily drawing attention.
6. As a family man, keep negative comments about other people to yourself, especially when your children are present. If you avoid this kind of behavior, you will prevent children from making shameful comments in social situations. In addition, you will teach them to prioritize the qualities of others.
7. Avoid making derogatory comments about other people’s physical characteristics. Only make comments when it comes to compliments or positive opinions that reflect courtesy. Tolerance and respect for differences are two characteristics that we must develop in our children from an early age.

1. When you are in a social situation and a person with a close relationship asks a question, an answer must always be given. Even if children are shy, they must develop properly in communicative contexts.
2. If you allow children to spend time at friends’ houses, teach them to respect the rules that the friends’ parents set, thank them for the attention they received, and help the hosts organize the spaces and things they used during play.
3. A closed door is a sign that one or more people need privacy. Thus, one must call at the door and always wait for an answer before entering any place so as not to invade situations that are not ours.

Remember, you don’t learn manners overnight. To make your children do it, you need to motivate them every day to behave well and show good manners little by little, as they age. See the second part of this article for other good customs that children should know.