The kids are running through the yard, your arms are full of groceries, the dog has started chasing the cat down the street and the car alarm just went off after being hit by a stray soccer ball. And, right then, your husband calls your name from the couch in the living room – as if he couldn’t come outside to help.
With arms full and a flurry of activity around you, it may be easy to shout a loud and angry, “WHAT?!” in response. However, etiquette experts agree that teaching children great manners and respectful behavior begins at home, as modeled by the parents.
“Parents definitely have to watch how they talk to each other in front of their child,” says Elaine Swann, an etiquette expert who teaches a manners class for children at Mira Costa College.
Swann explains that because children learn by mimicking their parents, loud and angry responses between partners can lead to similar responses from an observant child.
“Its really about what parents demonstrate to kids on a daily basis,” says Aimee Symington, also an etiquette expert, and creator of the children’s board game Blunders, designed to teach children manners in a fun, unique way.
Symington notes that explaining to children what is expected is important, but taking the time to reinforce those expectations and to consistently lead by example is even more important.
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