ETIQUETTE: Grooming Your Child To Be One Of The Finest (Part One)

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Chiomah Momah

There is nothing as delightful as meeting a young child who is courteous, cultured and displays fine manners. It can also be quite embarrassing when the child displaying poor manners in public happens to be yours. To ensure that our children learn the right social skills needed for life, some parents send their children to good finishing schools for grooming. Now, while such institutions have a lot to offer, parents can teach their children a lot too!

However, what’s important is for you to start early and be consistent, and gradually your child will stand out positively!

1. Start With the Basics

First, teach your young child the basics, like how to greet people, when to use their please and thank you, how to answer the phone, how to sit properly and the like. These basics will form the foundation for all the other etiquette skills they will learn over time.

2. Do as I do

The truth is actions speak louder than words. If you are sloppy, dirty, loud and rude, then your toddler will probably be the same, and get even worse overtime. For example, you shouldn’t fart noisily around your toddler and not expect them to do same. If they see you eat all your meals sitting on the ground in front of the Television then expecting them to sit on the table, when their favourite cartoon is on may seem like punishment. It is extremely important that we display the manners that we want our children to adopt.

3. Guide Them

Some parents think their duties end in providing clothing, food and shelter and pray that the child somehow, finds his way through life. It should not be like that. Children need to be guided and nurtured, not left to grow wildly. Parent need to shape their children’s behaviour starting from an early age and with time, the learned behaviour will become second nature.

4. Learn First

It’s often said that you can’t give what you don’t have. If you have poor etiquette skills yourself, you will have to improve on them. A good way to improve on your social skills and behaviour is by enrolling yourself in a proper finishing school. If you can’t afford one, then go online and search for videos on social etiquette and graces. Alternatively, if you have friends whose etiquette skills are good, super! You can learn for free! Your friend should be flattered and glad to impart knowledge.

5. Teach Others

It’s also important that your toddler’s primary care givers display good etiquette or at least the basic. If they don’t, create opportunities for them to learn so they may not rub off poor manners on your toddler. Remember, children are easily impressionable. Therefore, select carefully when employing a nanny. Alternatively, make a decision to work on your domestic staffs’ etiquette yourself by teaching them proper manners, hygiene and other elements of etiquette.

6. Their Social Circle

It would do a world of good to know who they interact with outside the home. Who are their friends in school, church, and so on? What values and manners do they uphold? What about their parents and siblings? Young children are quite impressionable; it would be easier than you think to ruin their budding skills if they constantly interact with the wrong set of peers.

Also, hook them up with adults and kids that will foster imbibing the skills you’re trying to instil.