Now that I have a kid, I really value the manners and etiquette I teach my child, not only because it reflects on the kind of mother that I am but because I see other kids sometimes who do not have manners at all; and they're so irritating. Yes, some moms may say - so what? my kid is a boy, he's allowed to be rowdy and it's ok for him to pick his nose in public. No way! I'm not going to tolerate that with my kid. Regardless whether my child is a boy or girl, he/she should know his/her manners.
Here are some basic things that we should teach our kids about:
1. "Wait for your turn to talk."
If adults are talking, say excuse me, and do not just butt in, unless it is an emergency.
2. "Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing."
You may teach your child to cover his mouth by folding his elbow and cough or sneeze in between the crease. This part of the arm doesn't get touched frequently, therefore, contamination to others could be low.
3. "When in church, act and dress appropriately. Do not run around, and refrain from talking."
Tell your child that the church is a place of worship, and since other people are praying, he or she should be quiet. A total no-no is allowing your child to bring a toy (such a psp) to keep him still! i see some parents do that, and it makes me wonder how they were raised themselves by their parents or at least how they were taught in school.
4. "When meeting with older people, kiss or "mano" to show respect."
Teach your child to kiss or bless people who are older than them such as their titos and titas, lolos and lolas. Regardless of what others say that at this day and age, it isn't necessary anymore, I still am for the old tradition of showing respect to the elders when greeting them or upon saying goodbye. If you're not comfortable with kissing, a "mano" or a simple good morning or good afternoon will also do, as long as they show respect.
5. "Always say thank you for whatever is given to you."
Every child should be able to express gratitude by a simple thank you. Even if they don't like the gift, train kids to be appreciative of the things they receive. Teach your child to appreciate the thought, time and effort that that person took only to give them their gift and not only the material thing.
6. "Watch what you say, as words can hurt."
If your child is already at the age of reasoning, you can already make him understand that words can hurt. Give him examples of words that can hurt other people (ugly, fat, old, stupid, etc...).
7. "Be nice to others, you cannot please everybody all the time, but what's important is - you don't pick fights and you're still nice even to those who don't like you."
Tonight, my son told me that he's sad that some of his bus mates don't like him. I talked to him like a big kid telling him that in life, you will not get to be liked all the time. You cannot really please everyone, but what's important is that your family likes you always and that you're still nice to those who don't like you. It made him feel good afterwards. We cannot shield our child from the harsh realities so it's better for him to know that early on.
8. "Share!"
I always tell my son that if we go somewhere and he brings one of his toys, he should share it if there's a kid who would want to play with it. He knows that's the rule, so if he doesn't want to lend his psp, he leaves it in the house or in the car; but if he brings it, he should lend it to the kids we're with.
9. "Get your own water."
This is simple. Teach your child to be independent especially with the little stuff such as getting water for himself. We live in an atmosphere where we have househelps, but I do want him to do things by himself and not rely on the helps.
10. "Say Please and Thank you"
It's the cardinal rule. No need to explain further.
I'm not really an expert but I just think that each and every parent should be responsible enough to live with a set of rules for their kids or family to follow; so that the world would become a better place for our future kids and grandchildren.
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