One of the most important things a parent or teacher can teach a child, in my opinion, is manners. As a teacher, it was easy to spot the children of parents who had taken time to do this. For those who were less proficient, we lovingly taught what are indispensable skills. Manners are nothing more than putting someone else before yourself. Let’s journey to discover some simple things you can teach your child. We will focus on one skill each post!
Today-
Thank you! Whether someone gives you a pencil or a car, say thank you! When someone gives you a compliment, say thank you. When someone gives you their time, say thank you. When someone performs a service for you, say thank you!
If your child forget, please don’t publicly call him out. Use the sign language for thank you. Reminding silently preserves your child’s dignity. (I learned this in a parenting course called Growing Kids God’s way. While I didn’t agree with some things in this class, I found using sign language as reminders to work great for both my own son and my Kindergarten kids! )
If you remember Princess Diana, you may be amazed to learn that within fifteen minutes of returning from an event she would send a thank you note. Neil Armstrong wrote a thank you note to the folks who built his spacesuit- the one that kept him alive on the moon! Ronald Reagan wrote a thank you letter to the American people in 1994 thanking them for letting him be President.
A great motivator for learning thank you is birthday presents. My son couldn’t eat it, spend it, wear it or play with it until he wrote a thank you note for it! Today,in his twenties, he writes the most beautiful thank you notes!
It is also interesting to look at the faces of the adults who receive a verbal thank you from a child. Their faces light up at this unexpected gift! It’s wonderful that manners cost nothing but time! Give it a try and please share your ideas as well! 