 If your child’s manners leave much to be desired, you’re not alone; manners is sometimes a difficult concept for kids - particularly younger ones, who are still quite “me”-centric - to grasp and take to heart.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. You can teach your child better manners, although some parents don’t bother.
You might, for example, think your child’s bad manners are funny and even cute, but rest assured others won’t be quite as inclined to laugh when your son sticks a pea up his nose and snorts it out onto a dinner guest’s plate, or when your daughter answers the phone rudely and hangs up on the caller.
You may also think having bad manners is some kind of stage that your child will simply grow out of, but the reality is that manners must be taught. Kids aren’t going to figure out how to be polite and respectful all by themselves, and if you don’t teach your child better manners, you are setting him/her up for disaster later on in life.
Here are some tips to help teach your child better manners that he/she’ll remember and use for the rest of his/her life:
Start early
Teaching your child manners from an early age will help your child understand that having good manners is a necessary part of life and will help give him/her a tighter grasp on good manners and retain them throughout his/her lifetime.
Most children are ready to begin learning manners somewhere between 18 months and two years old. However, if you’ve neglected to teach your now-older child manners, or if his/her manners could use some improvement, starting now is certainly better than not at all.
 Start small
Don’t overwhelm your child with an onslaught of “rules” right away; chances are, he/she won’t be able to remember everything you’re trying to teach, and will become overwhelmed, which will lead to frustration, which could lead even worse manners than before! Start small and teach one manner/behavior at a time.
“Please” and “thank you” are great starting points. Some parents even teach these phrases, in the form of sign language, to their babies who can’t yet talk.
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Your manners training shouldn’t end with “please” and “thank you,” however. Children should learn table/eating etiquette, manners while using the telephone and answering the door, manners when going out in public (shopping, restaurants, public transportation, etc.) and manners when meeting and playing with other children (sharing, taking turns, including others, etc.).
Practice Patience
Kids take time to learn new things, and this is no different with teaching better manners. Don’t expect your child to pick up on and implement this new skill immediately; exercise patience, anticipate mistakes, and expect this entire process to take some time.
Walk the talk
Learn to set an example!
If you’re trying to teach your child better manners but are rude at the dinner table, on the phone, and in the car, your child will notice the inconsistency and will like become uncooperative and less likely to learn and use good manners. You are your child’s most important role model! If you want your child to say “please” and “thank you,” make sure you ask your spouse nicely to take out the trash, and then thank him/her afterward, too.
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