Etiquette rules for children: the importance of developing skills

The rules of etiquette for children and older children are rules of behavior in society, with peers, with older people, knowing and observing which, the child will not end up in a stupid, ridiculous situation. He will always know how to behave in order to be a well-mannered and polite child, and then an adult. Learning the rules of etiquette is not easy. It's no secret that sometimes adults remain ignorant and rude. And therefore, every adequate parent strives to raise their child as a harmoniously developed personality. However, better than any training will be the personal example of mom or dad. If the family follows the rules of etiquette, good manners and behavior in society, then from birth the baby will collect and absorb the necessary knowledge bit by bit.

What is commonly called etiquette? Society has established certain rules of human behavior, manners, and rules of good manners, which reflect the level of a person’s culture. Under various life circumstances, in various spheres of society, it is customary to follow such rules.

First of all, children need etiquette, since the child will take all the knowledge and skills acquired in childhood into a complex, adult life, where his future will depend on the culture of his upbringing: career, status in society, relationships with people around him. A culturally enriched, polite person always knows how to behave in one place or another, will never experience difficulties in maintaining a conversation, and will behave with dignity in any situation.

A correctly formed attitude towards morality and ethics in childhood facilitates adaptation in society.

In the civilized world, the problem of ethical education is more acute than ever. Modern children think less and less about the rules of good manners, because their always busy parents did not have time to convey to their child the basics of correct, good manners of behavior inherent in a well-mannered person. After all, it is the closest people who are role models and become the first assistants in mastering this skill. Children with cultured and educated parents know and practice the rules of good behavior:

with older people, peers, strangers, caregivers and teachers;
at home and in public places (in children's homes, at school, clinics, transport, etc.);
visiting;
at the table;
in a telephone conversation and so on.

If the basic rules of behavior are not instilled in a child in a timely manner, then in society he will experience discomfort, rejection, and withdraw into himself. Then parents will have to solve more serious problems.

When to start teaching your child etiquette

Most likely, every parent himself will feel the moment when his child is ready to understand and accept etiquette training. But already in infancy, children unconsciously absorb emotions received from their parents. Affectionate words, a gentle attitude, a kind voice, smiles - all this helps the baby to grasp a positive attitude in life. Therefore, the sooner relatives begin to introduce a friendly attitude to the child, the easier the process of learning etiquette will be in the future.

Already from the age of one, the child begins to lead an active life: he tries to talk, plays with peers, and begins to walk. Therefore, it can be argued that this is exactly the time to begin the formation of conscious behavior. It's time to teach your baby to understand how to behave by the intonation of his parents' voice. Having become a little older, at the age of two, the child must have minimal table manners and use polite words or gestures when communicating with others.

Conscious, in-depth teaching of etiquette can only be imparted to young children after reaching the age of five. Kindergarten teachers come to help parents. It is extremely important when a child’s good behavior is set as an example to his peers and praised. The desire to behave positively grows, more friends appear, communication brings pleasure.

When a child becomes a schoolchild, the requirements for his behavior in society will increase, life will become more eventful and varied. Parents should use this moment to reinforce instilled good manners. It is necessary to convey to the child that now he is doubly responsible for his behavior, that the attitude of the people around him, his success in school and life in general depends on this.

The task of parents is also to enrich the student culturally. You should try to visit exhibitions, theaters, museums, and cultural events with your child more often.

You should not ignore comments from school teachers about your child’s behavior. And most importantly, at any stage of teaching etiquette to their child, parents themselves should not forget about maintaining good manners and remain a role model in any situation.

Principles of behavior in public transport

There are also certain standards of behavior in public transport. All children and parents have to travel on a tram or bus at some point. What you need to know:

It is necessary to give way to an elderly person or people with disabilities.
Pregnant women should also give up their seat.
You should not have a telephone conversation that is too loud. If you need to talk on the phone, this should be done in halftone.
As for communicating with each other, the conversation should be conducted quietly, without shouting.
When traveling by train, there is no need to run around the carriage, talk loudly and pester passengers with questions.
You are not allowed to leave your seat on the plane. If you need to go to the toilet, this should only be done accompanied by your parents.
Under no circumstances should you dirty other passengers if your shoes are dirty.
Laughing loudly and singing songs is prohibited.

No matter what kind of transport the child is in, it is forbidden to move far from the parents.

How to teach your child etiquette

There is no better way to teach etiquette than by the example of mom and dad. Kids copy their loved ones and imitate them. Parents must take strict control of their own behavior: do not shout, do not show rudeness or ignorance. In case of bad behavior of a child, while remaining calm, adults will have to be firm in their words and decisions. There is no doubt that in the future children will show themselves just as calmly in a similar situation.

Repeating polite words whenever appropriate is also learning. It is enough to remind your child that he needs to say hello to his neighbor, say “thank you” after eating, “good night” before going to bed. Over time, this will become a habit, and the child will say such words automatically.

The biggest mistake parents make is “imposing” etiquette. Adults often make rude remarks and constantly reprimand them for various reasons or without them. The baby feels pressure, a confrontation begins. Parents get irritated, angry, insist on their own and end up with a complete denial of any rules by their child.

Training should be carried out unobtrusively, preferably in a playful way. Then the little person will not even feel that the learning process is taking place, he will willingly and happily complete game tasks, mastering the material will go faster and will bring more benefits.

Role-playing with dolls will be very good and effective. Adults need to help the child come up with a game situation: the dolls came to visit the little bear, one behaves well, the other behaves badly; the little bunny plays around when he eats; dolls are going to a ball and much more.

Playing theater will also be effective; you can give your child the opportunity to be both a positive hero and a negative one. It will be beneficial to watch cartoons with your child, which focus on a polite attitude towards others, instilling rules of good manners in which characters are discussed and the peculiarities of their behavior. Don’t forget about reading books: fairy tales, poems, nursery rhymes.

What should parents understand?

Children first learn rules of behavior from their parents. It is mom and dad who show their son or daughter an example of how to behave in a given situation. Parents must remember that the child follows their example in everything, so the behavior of adults must be thoughtful and balanced.

Mom and dad must remember that it is impossible to force their child to learn certain rules. This can only cause a protest from a son or daughter. Learning is best done while playing. For example, you can learn table etiquette by playing with dolls.

If parents behave competently, the child will certainly copy their manners. Good manners will also manifest themselves in society, which will help avoid awkward situations.

Speech etiquette for children

Special attention should be paid to speech etiquette in children. Every child must learn the rules of communication with others, according to his age. Speech etiquette includes the following aspects:

greet acquaintances when meeting, say goodbye when parting;
use polite words in speech: “thank you”, “please”, “sorry”;
address adults respectfully, using “you”;
do not insult other children;
ask for forgiveness for a wrongdoing;
do not discuss the behavior of strangers, do not snitch;
do not interrupt someone else's conversation;
be able to restrain your negative emotions.

Cultured, well-mannered children will always be understood and heard. Speech etiquette will never lose its relevance, as it is the basis of relationships in society.

Telephone etiquette

Mom and dad must teach their son or daughter to talk on the phone correctly.

Here are the rules:

It is better not to make friendly calls before 8:00 am and after 21:00 pm. You should also not make several calls in a row if no one picks up the phone. Perhaps the person is busy.
Any conversation should begin with greeting words: “Hello”, “Good morning”, “Good evening” and so on.
If during the previous conversation you promised to call back, do not forget to do so.
If the person you need answers the phone, greet him, introduce yourself, and only then ask someone you know to answer the phone.
If the number was dialed incorrectly, it is important to apologize and only then hang up.
You cannot use your phone for pampering.

After the conversation ends, you should say goodbye. The person making the call hangs up first.

If you get a call at an inopportune time, apologize and ask to call back a little later.

Guest etiquette for children

It is extremely important to teach your child the rules of behavior when visiting. It should be explained that when staying in someone else’s house, it is necessary to follow the rules of guest etiquette:

come to visit only at the invitation of the hosts;
greet the owners of the house;
do not be late for the appointed time;
follow the rules of communication;
do not touch objects and things in the house without asking;
do not insist on your desires;
observe table manners;
do not run around the apartment, do not scream;
do not litter, do not throw toys and things around;
do not stay at a party for a long time;
thank the hosts for their hospitality before leaving.

It should also be explained to children that the rules of guest etiquette are observed not only by those invited to visit, but also by those who receive guests.

it is necessary to invite guests in advance;
meet and greet visitors;
greet friends with a smile and a good mood;
explain the rules of conduct in your home.

Types of etiquette

Conventionally, etiquette for every day can be divided into two large groups. The first is generally accepted rules for all situations. The second is the rules of behavior in certain areas, for example, mourning, military, religious etiquette, and so on. There are also rules of dance etiquette, behavior in case of fire, and so on. Parents must clearly understand that teaching their child the rules of behavior should begin from an early age.

This process should occur gradually and in the form of a game. To begin with, the child is explained how to behave at the table, how to address an adult, and how to behave in a store. Later, you can learn other types of etiquette, for example, rules of conduct in a hospital, kindergarten, school, and so on.

Table manners

While still a baby, the child has already acquired basic table manners: washing hands before eating, using a napkin, knowing how to use cutlery, eating carefully, wishing those around you a bon appetit, saying “thank you” at the end of the meal. The older the child gets, the larger the list of requirements for his behavior at the table becomes:

you need to start eating after waiting for everyone who is sitting at the table;
eat silently, do not talk with your mouth full;
do not indulge at the table, do not play with food;
do not express your dissatisfaction with the prepared food;
You can’t put your elbows on the table;
ask the person sitting next to you to bring the necessary utensils, rather than reaching across the entire table;
do not leave the table until all family members have finished eating.

Parents should not only instill rules of behavior during meals, but also show by example how this should be done. Subsequently, visiting a cafe with your child or having dinner at a party, adults will have a reason to be proud of raising their son or daughter.

Street etiquette rules

It is important to teach your child to behave correctly not only at home, but also on the street. If a child does not know good manners, he will most likely receive condemnation from society. Let's consider the main principles of behavior:

Garbage should only be thrown into a trash bin or trash can.
You cannot pick flowers from flower beds, walk on lawns, climb into fountains or other places not intended for these purposes.
It is not nice to point a finger at a person and talk about him out loud.
The road should only be crossed at a pedestrian crossing.
You must keep a line in the store.
You should not pester strangers with questions or force your stories on them.
It is forbidden to run far from your parents or hide during a walk.
If you need to stop while walking along the sidewalk, for example to tie your shoelaces, you should step aside.

In addition, it is important to teach your child not to offend other boys and girls on playgrounds and in the park.

You cannot take away toys, say hurtful words, push on slides and fight.

General rules of child behavior

We invite you to consider presentations on the topic of children's behavior in various places in verse. You can show them to your child too.

On the street

At the table

On road

Away

How to behave if your child is alone at home

Situations often arise that parents are forced to leave their son or daughter at home for a while. At the same time, it is extremely important to explain to the child how to behave in this case. The main rules include:

You cannot open windows or a balcony if it is a multi-story building.
It is prohibited to open the gas or use matches or lighters.
Do not open the water and play with it.
It is better to spend time quietly, reading books or watching cartoons.
It is forbidden to invite guests without permission.
In any emergency, you should call your parents.
It is forbidden to go outside without leaving the apartment.
If there is a fire, you need to call “01”, if strangers are breaking into the apartment, you need to call “02”.

Under no circumstances should you open doors to strangers. If a stranger asks if you are alone at home, say: “Dad is sleeping, you can come later.”