Five basic etiquettes to teach your child

How a child turns out to be is dependent on their upbringing while at a tender age. Even with the fast pace at which the world is moving and the diverse technological innovations that our children are exposed to in this time, it is important we also equip them with certain etiquette to make them responsible adults.  

The failure of some parents and guardian in equipping their child with certain indispensable etiquette has led to the increase in decline of moral standards amongst youths and various vices that characterise our society in recent times.   

To ensure the proper nurturing of your child, here are 5 basic etiquette to teach them.  

1. Greeting  

As Africans, the culture of greeting is one that is held in high esteem. A child that doesn’t greet is often concluded to be one without proper upbringing.   

A basic etiquette you should teach your child is greeting.  From their tender age, make it a practice to inculcate the habit of greeting in them. Teach them not only to greet elders but also their mates and those younger than them.  

Greeting anyone is considered a sign of respect and it also means the person being greeted is valued. So, inculcate this in your child. 

ALSO READ: Wealth creation: Life lessons you should teach your children

2. Table manners  

Another etiquette you should teach your child is proper table manners.   

 You need to teach your child table manners such as not to overload their plate, take only as much as they need, not leave food on plates, hold the spoon right or ensure the food doesn’t fall on their clothes when eating with their hands.   

You can also teach them how to use cutlery so that they can hold it right.  

The table manners cover a large part of how your child will behave in a party, a social gathering and in society generally.   

3. Knocking before opening the door   

Instilling in your child the culture of knocking the door before opening is a vital one in the upbringing of your child.  

 Teaching your child to knock before coming into your room or any other place saves them from seeing any undesirable sight that may affect them in the long run.  

It is also a sign that they recognise and respect people’s privacy .  

To further help you on the upbringing of your child check how to effectively parent your child   

4. Respect for others  

The rate at which some youths display lack of respect to both their parents and everyone around them shows an error in their upbringing while they were still in their tender age.   

In order not to breed rude children who grow up to become disrespectful adults, it is important you train your child to respect not only you but also everyone around them. 

READ ALSO: How to raise an emotionally intelligent child

5. Speaking courteously   

Another etiquette to teach your child is the need for them to speak courteously. Teach them to be positive in all they say, help them to avoid negative comments especially whenever they are relating with others.  

Also teach them to use the five magic words always. These magic words are:  

1. Please  
2. Excuse me   
3. Sorry  
4. Thank you   
5. Pardon me     

You have a great role to play in ensuring that your child grows into a responsible adult. Teaching the above etiquette and other vital ones will help in the overall upbringing of your child.