It’s very important to provide structure and instill respectful behavior in your child’s life as early as possible. Teaching respect and manners early can increase a child’s self-esteem. How is this possible? When a child is respectful to someone it will be reciprocated back to them. This will help them feel good about themselves.
Here at Ready Set Grow Pre-School in Nassau County, our early childhood education program strives to enforce respectful manners. It goes beyond please and thank you. The children learn to use their words when they become upset with their peers. Most times when a child is reprimanded they don’t know why. Here is an example: As an adult if you were told “don’t do that, that’s not nice,” You would have an understanding of why you are being told that. A child needs an explanation of why it is not acceptable behavior. You have to sit down with them, listen to what they have to say, ask them questions about their feelings and then explain to them why it is not acceptable behavior. It takes time but it works.
