Babies and toddlers can usually get away with being messy and impolite because they are little and just don't know better. But, there comes a time in every child's life when she must learn good manners. One of the best ways to impart etiquette on your child is to set a good example. Children learn by watching. However, there are fun and easy exercises that will teach your child social graces and prevent public embarrassment.
Accent the Positive
Children speak their mind. They don't know that it is impolite to say everything that they think. One way to stop your child from announcing all his uncensored thoughts is to teach him to find something good about everything. Practice different situations. Show him pictures of people and tell him to find one thing he likes in each picture. After looking at a picture of a woman in a magazine for a few minutes he may decide he likes the color of her shoes or a necklace that she is wearing. "Parents" magazine suggests using this exercise with food also. If somebody cooks something for him that he doesn't like, instead of complaining about the meal, teach him to find something that he likes. It may just be the plate on which the food is served. This exercise teaches children to wait a few seconds before they speak and to find something positive to say when they do.
Celebrate Progress
Celebrating a child's etiquette on a daily basis with stickers or stamps rewards her for doing well and gives her reasons to practice manners. The website Manners Games suggests teaching your child a new manner every day and then rewarding her at the end of the day for using the manner of the day. Once she has mastered the manners that are most important to you, create a reward chart. Write a list of manners down the side of the chart and write the days of the week at the top of the chart. Set incentives for certain amounts of stickers or stamps. The site reminds parents that it's important that children use manners because they want to, not because they have to.
Throw a Practice Party
Kids love parties. Throwing a tea party or a luncheon with your child is an enriching activity for teaching manners. From start to finish, a party helps your child learn manners like sending formal invitations, dressing appropriately and properly greeting his guests. Putting their napkins on their laps and waiting until everybody is served to eat are two other social graces to teach at the party suggests the website Parenting. If you aren't able to host a real party, set up a pretend party with your child and his favorite stuffed animals. Pretend food and place settings work just as well as the real thing.
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