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Manners for Kids: A Parents' Guide

30 Best & Essential

Good Manners for
Kids: A Parents’
Guide
December 13, 2023

30 Good Manners for Kids That

Every Child Should Know

What Are the Benefits of Good

Manners For Kids?

What Can Parents Do to Teach

Good Manners to Children?

Parent’s Toolkit – Ways to

Reinforce Good Manners in
Kids

Let’s Raise Well-Mannered

Kids!

Frequently Asked Questions

(FAQs)

Good manners and etiquette are essential

life skills that enhance our overall
personality. And the best time to instill
these life skills is during childhood. A
child with good manners and etiquette
will eventually grow up to become a more
confident individual.

This blog is a comprehensive guide on

what good manners are for kids. From
the basics, such as saying please and
thank you, to table manners, being
punctual, and showing gratitude, we will
cover it all. Read on and see them grow
into the most respectable human being
you have ever wanted them to be!

Related Reading: Compassionate

Vs. Empathetic – Why Both Are
Important for Kids

30 Good Manners for Kids

That Every Child Should
Know

It’s never too late to start teaching your

kids about good manners. We have
curated a list of 30 situation-specific
good manners for kids that parents must
pay attention to. While you may find
them common, they hold paramount
significance in promoting social-
emotional learning to your kid.

When At Home

1. Saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You

One of the obvious entrants in the good

manners list, this can be great to start
with. Teaching your child to say ‘Please’
develops consideration while saying
‘Thank You’ instills a sense of gratitude
and appreciation. These kindness
activities for kids don’t only build social
skills, they also make kids more
considerate and respectful of others’
actions.

2. Respecting Elders and Younger

Alike

They say, ‘Change starts at home’, so the

next time you want your child to respect
people outside the home, it’s crucial to
begin exercising the same at home.

3. Asking for Permission

Children must be taught to ask

permission for reasons such as touching
or taking things of others. It conveys the
idea of consent to them, which you must
already know weighs heavy importance.

4. Avoid Interrupting
Conversations

Emphasis must be kept on exercising free

speech and ‘Let others finish before you
speak’. This good habit goes a long way in
honing their communication for
academic and professional space.

5. Lending a Helping Hand

A great way to escalate the helping trait

of your kid is to motivate them to actively
help in household chores such as tidying
up their room, mopping, washing laundry,
etc.

6. Respecting Others Privacy

Start by educating your kid about how

everyone on Earth needs their own space
and time. Knocking on the door before
entering the room, asking permission,
not barging into the adult tea sessions,
etc., would aid the learning.

Related Reading: Strategies to

Bring Out Mindfulness for Kids

When At the Dining Table

7. Putting Away Smartphones

It has to be the most crucial table

mannerism that can be taught to younger
ones. Ask them to push off all their
technology during mealtime for 15-20
minutes.

8. Using a Napkin

Children must be taught to keep a napkin

handy at all times to save them from
creating an awkward curry mess at the
table.

9. Closing the Mouth While Eating

An important lesson here for kids is that

nobody wants to know what’s in their
mouth and, obviously, not hear any
chewing sounds as well.

10. Asking Before Leaving the

Table

It develops politeness in children, so

always ask them to be excused before
leaving the table. It can be practiced both
when at home or at a restaurant with a
group of people.

Related Reading: Empathy vs

Sympathy: How to Raise an
Empathetic Child

When Guests Are Home

11. Opening the Door for Others

Whenever a guest arrives home, teach

your child to open the door for them,
greet them and escort them to the living
area.

12. Shaking Hands With a Smile

Shaking hands firmly is a beautiful way of

greeting others and sparks joy amongst
both individuals.

13. Standing Up When Elders Enter

the Room

One of the subsets of showing respect to

the old and elderly, children must know
the courtesy of standing and greeting
them with glee.

14. Serving the Guests

When kids are taught to offer to serve

the guests at home, it makes them
responsible and courteous at the same
time.

15. Keeping Up the Conversation

‘Awkward Silences’ are the roots of self-

doubt and antisocial behavior. Kids must
be worked on initiating and keeping up
the conversation with the guests at
home. However, the thin line between
threading conversations and unnecessary
boasting must be taught carefully.

Related Reading: Creative

Journal Prompts for Kids to
Encourage Good Habits

When You Are the Guest

16. Don’t Go Uninvited

Introduce the kids to the concept of

visiting their best friend’s house only
when they are invited or for any other
exceptionally important reason.

17. Establishing Stay Limits

Making kids understand that they cannot

stay over at their friend’s house for as
long as they want holds much weight.
Teach them to establish a decent time
limit for being a guest at anyone’s place.

18. Following the Rules of the

Host’s House

A good guest is someone who adheres to

the host’s house rules. Children must
learn to draw a line between following
the rules at home and following the rules
at the host’s place. Teach them, ‘When in
Rome, do as the Romans do.’

19. Offering Help

Children must be taught to fairly assist

the host in their work and not burden
them. It allows you to build teamwork,
leadership, and other essential social life
skills in your little ones.

20. Acknowledging Your Host’s

Hospitality

It broadly comes under gratitude and

appreciation. Thanking the host family
for their hospitality and love strengthens
the essence of maintaining relationships
among children.

Related Reading: Best Positive

Reinforcement Tips For
Teachers & Parents

When You Are Out and About

21. Saying NO to Foul Language

It is common for children to pick foul

words at school or on the playground.
Therefore, parents must keep an eye on
and teach their children how foul
language can be disrespectful and hurtful
to others.

22. Practicing Sharing

A vital social skill, sharing marks the

importance of care and compassion that
ultimately adds to socio-emotional
development. From a young age, the
habit of sharing one’s food, belongings,
and other tangible items must be
introduced to children.

23. Introducing Yourself to Others

A perfect way to initiate a conversation

outside the home, children must be
taught to make their introduction to
others. A warm greeting with a smile,
sharing your name, asking their name,
saying ‘Nice to meet you’- the common
hierarchy of introducing is a big thumbs
up to begin with.

24. Reciprocating Customary

Greetings

The young ones must know the art of

reciprocating greetings when the other
person initiates the introductions. The
common answers to questions like ‘How
Are You?’, ‘What Are You Up to?’, ‘What’s
Up?’ etc. must be tutored to children.

25. Learning to Apologize

More often than not, children are under

the impression that initiating an apology
or making an apology at all makes them
less dignified. Such behavior branches
out into toxic traits in adulthood. So,
parents should teach their kids to take
responsibility for their actions and
initiate an apology when needed.

26. Saying ‘Excuse Me’

To build up consideration in kids, they

must be taught the etiquette of saying
‘Excuse Me’ whenever the need arises.

27. Not Calling Names

Kids in school mostly have nicknames for

each other, but sometimes it gets hurtful.
Therefore, it is important to draw on
their empathy and tell them that they
should never call their friends and family
mean names.

28. Following Sportsmanship

Winning and losing is a part of life.

Inculcating the sportsman spirit in kids
means that you are teaching them to
acknowledge others’ success with grace
and humility. This wards off negative
emotions like jealousy, hatred, and
revenge in children.

29. Avoiding Arguments With

Others

Arguing unnecessarily with people should

be discouraged in children. Lessons in
maintaining calm, self-regulation, and
patience should be encouraged to avoid
growing children into aggressive adults.

30. Maintaining Basic Hygiene

Good manners like washing hands, not

spitting on roads, throwing garbage in
the bin, etc., must be encouraged in
children until they become a habit.
Children must be tactfully guided about
maintaining hygiene at home and in
public places.

Related Reading: Types of

Parenting Styles and Their
Effects on the Child

What Are the Benefits of

Good Manners For Kids?

Good manners, etiquette, and courtesy

are the building blocks of society. They
help build fruitful interactions and are
synonymous with expressions of respect
and compassion.

Can you imagine a world full of rude,

aggressive, and impolite individuals? We
bet you won’t feel good imagining it.
Thus, the significance of good manners
for preschoolers and kids cannot be
overstated. Moreover, if we want to
continue building a peaceful society,
raising kids with good manners is
essential.

Here are some benefits of good manners

for kids that parents must know:

Inculcates Confidence and Self-

Esteem

If a child knows how to act in a specific

situation or with a group of people, it
underlines the streak of confidence
rooted in his personality. For this, making
children understand basic social skills is a
prerequisite. Good manners and
etiquette are one of them.

Builds a Sense of Respect

At the heart of good manners lies

respecting oneself and others. When a
child learns to respect himself, he
eventually grasps the idea of respecting
people outside the home.

Fosters Relationship

One of the benefits of inculcating

manners and etiquette in a child is that it
develops a positive relationship with
elders, peers, cousins, etc. Human
relationships are fundamental to life. So
making your kids learn the importance of
their younger days serves them well for a
lifetime.

Boosts Communication Skills

Communication skills are essential for

the academic and professional growth of
children. Hence, good manners and
etiquettes are a window of opportunity to
polish interactions and hone
communication skills.

Sparks Joy

When a child knows that his behavior

positively impacts the people around him,
it develops a sense of joy and deep
satisfaction in him. That joy further leads
to many positives ahead in their life.

Related Reading: Best Positive

Affirmations for Kids to
Improve Confidence & Belief

What Can Parents Do to

Teach Good Manners to
Children?

Every parent’s dream is to raise a child

who practices politeness and other
general good manners. However, most
parents fail to realize their contribution
to shaping the personality of their