Teaching Your Kids Good Manners

Having trouble getting you kids to say please and thank you? Read on for our good manners guide!

Start with the Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a simple principle even your youngest children will understand. Plus, it's a great foundation for encouraging behavior that respects other people in many different circumstances.

Set a Good Example. You probably no longer notice how you belch after downing a soda in front of the TV, but we guarantee that your kids will notice...and imitate. Make an effort to keep your own language and manners in check so your kids have a good example at home.

Additionally, your sons will learn how to treat women by watching how you treat your wife/their mother. With boys, it's especially important for you to talk to them and show them good behavior towards the opposite sex.

Be Deliberate. While setting a good example is essential, it's not enough. Deliberately talk to your kids about the importance of treating other people with respect, not interrupting when others are talking, how to share, and how to talk to their elders, among other things. Stress that these behaviors are important.

Give Object Lessons. Use different situations as learning tools. When you see two children playing together nicely, point out to your son or daughter how well those kids are sharing and how much fun they are having together. Give them as many examples as possible.

Reward Good Behavior. A simple, well-known principle that can easily get lost when it comes to cultivating manners. Don't miss an opportunity to praise your kids for saying "please" or sharing well. And be consistent! If you tell your child they won't get a cookie unless they say please, don't give in!

Rome wasn't built in a day and your kids won't have impeccable manners overnight. But with a little extra effort and checking to make sure your own manners are up to 'snuff, you'll be able to raise respectable, and respectful, young adults.