5 Basics etiquettes or manners that you must teach your child

Manners and etiquette for children are ranked as essential qualities to be taught, imbibed and practiced at home and nurtured in the family. Instilling and inculcating manners and values early in life helps build them to be better with people and communication in society.

Home is the haven where children learn to be considerate, tolerant and respectful, and to cherish traditional and familial values. They learn ethics and moral values.

The over-riding character trait that needs to be practiced as a deep-rooted core value in every child and every individual is a basic Respect for everyone. The family traditions of respecting elders, people in authority, the national flag and symbols need to be introduced and reinforced in children.

In addition, and arising out of the basic quality of respect, here are  five important etiquette or manners that we should teach our children:

1. Using Polite Words :
   It is for your child to learn some polite words. The usual “Please”, “Thank you”, “No, thank you” and “Excuse me”. They should be taught this from their very childhood so that it comes naturally to them without you having to prod them all the time. People are pleased when children display these etiquettes and judge them as polite, well brought up and well-behaved kids.
2. Avoiding Disturbing Others  :
   Children often barge in on people even when they are unwanted. If someone comes to the house on some important business, they badger them till they are scolded out of the room. Children must be taught that they are not to disturb anyone who is busy talking to someone else. Interfering when two older people are in conversation should also be avoided. Children should be taught not to interfere and demand attention out of turn.
3. Table Manners  :
   This one is extremely important. We judge people based on their table manners. Those who talk loudly or eat noisily at meal times, picking at their food, taking the best portions and not caring about others are not considered polite. Teach your child how to behave at the table, to pass food items to others and to make meal times pleasant for all. The family should also make the habit of not using their cell phones at the table. It is not courteous at all. Wastage of food must be avoided, and children should be taught to take small portions and finish eating those before putting more food on their plates.
4. Thanking Everyone  :
   Many children do not ever say, “Thank you” which is strange because as a child the first thing one is taught is to say, “Thank you”. This has become involuntary and a part of us now. We should teach our children to be the same, and thank everyone for things they do.
5. Limited Use of Gadgets  :
   The use of gadgets has become an issue since the dawn of technology. Many children tend to have their eyes and minds glued to their screens and hardly recognize or behave decently with people. We must tell them when to lift up their eyes, put away their gadgets and behave in company. All these aspects of etiquette taken together should enable our children to be well-behaved and respected members of society and useful citizens of our country.