Take Your Manners With You

I thought it important to start a new social skills topic that we haven't touched on before; manners in public places. When your children go out the door without you, hopefully, you will be confident that they will behave properly, get along with everyone, be liked and respected by all they meet, and not embarrass you.

To some that may sound like a lot to expect, but all those little reminders, manners rules, and behavior corrections that you have made since birth should pay off. Your children will make you proud; just don't get upset when they forget or slip up. If you realize they are just kids, you can rest easier when you're not around to correct them. Most people are tolerant of children and excuse quite a lot.

Usually when children go out the door of their homes they are in a neighborhood. I think the best way to be sure they behave the way you want them to is to model the behavior you want from them. If you greet your neighbors whenever you see them, the kids will also. Teach them how you want them to address the neighbors and they will pick that up as well.

If you walk on their driveway or walkway instead of across their grass, so will the kids. In like manner, if you restrict their play to your own property, your kids will learn to respect their neighbors'. And, if you get the mail or newspaper, or return trash cans for elderly neighbors, you are modeling kind and caring behavior. Your kids will see that and will learn important lessons from those actions.

Many kids balk at learning and practicing good manners, but once they learn them, they will not forget them. People do notice how children conduct themselves. The kind, polite, and respectful child may be the one asked by a neighbor to do small chores, run an errand, and when older, cut their grass or babysit.

There will be more in future blogs about manners in public places. For now, we need to consider the element of stranger danger we have in our society today. I'm sure that you are all well aware of that.
Check out the people your children will come in contact with to prevent any problems. Not only do we want our children to be confident, but they also need to be aware.