8 “Forgotten” Manners Every Parent Should Be Teaching Their Children
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How often have we complained about the lost chivalry and how kids don’t respect their elders anymore? Of course, we often tend to exaggerate the truth a bit. But, there is no harm admitting that we have lost some of the age-old manners along the way. In fact, some of these manners are so basic that they were considered a norm once upon a time. Nowadays, we are more busy ensuring that our little ones don’t use the phones while eating. And, in this process, we forget to teach them the importance of not getting up from the dinner table until everyone is done. Here, we bring you some of these “forgotten” manners that we need to be teaching our kids:
1. Close The Mouth While Chewing
As kids, we have all been nagged to eat with our mouths closed. And, thank god for that. There are only a few sights worse than seeing someone chewing their food as they eat (or even worse, talk!). It is totally natural for kids to eat with their mouths open without realizing. But, it is important to teach our kids this manner at a young age itself so that it becomes a habit.
2. The Importance Of Saying “Excuse Me”
There are plenty of situations where we can say “excuse me”. Be it a scenario where we accidentally bump into someone or a time when we need to urgently interrupt an elder person while they are busy with something else. Just a simple “excuse me” does wonders to ease the situation, ensuring that we come across as polite.
3. Hold The Door For Others
It is important to educate our little ones about holding the door if someone else is coming behind us. After all, who doesn’t like it when someone holds the door for them? With all of us nodding our heads in agreement, it proves how this basic chivalry goes a long way!
4. Napkin On The Lap
Surely, we all remember how our moms told us to keep the napkin on our lap, in case we drop some food. Now, it is time for us to impart the same wisdom to our little ones. And, with the napkins in place, we can perhaps teach them the magic of wiping their mouths clean with it too.
5. No Talking With Mouths Full
How many times do our munchkins remember that they need the maple syrup only after stuffing their mouths with pancake? And, since they are too young to understand, they start speaking immediately. This is the perfect time to step in and teach our tiny tots to wait and speak once they have swallowed the food.
6. Inform Before Leaving The Table
This is just a basic table manner; it is always courteous to be excused before getting up from the table, especially if the others are still eating. While we might think it is alright since it is only the kids and us on the dinner table, it is not. After all, home is where kids learn the most.
7. Take Off The Shoes Before Entering Home
Whether or not the homeowner asks us, it is always good to remove the shoes before entering the house. After all, it is the polite thing to do. Not everyone likes it when their clean floors become dirty because of the shoes. If not this, we can at least tell our kids to politely ask the host what they are more comfortable with.
8. Those “Magic Words”
All of us were taught as kids how the magic words – “please” and “thank you”- can make all the difference. And, don’t we all agree that it does? Teach the little ones to say a “please” before making a request and “thank you” soon after someone helps them. And, there is no such thing as “too many times” when it comes to these magic words.
All the fellow mothers out there, can you think of any other tip to share with us fellow new moms? If yes, feel free to share your wisdom with us in the comments section below!
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