Manners

Parenting is #beingaleader. In that leadership role, it is your responsibility to teach your child(ren) manners. I am not simply talking about not speaking when your mouth is full of food (although that can be an issue too and clearly many adults were not taught that). I am defining manners as someone “having respect” – for themselves, for those in authority, for those around them.

#Beingaleader (i.e. a parent) means you teach them to respect themselves. I am not a big fan of worrying about someone’s self-esteem. That is a feelings-based approach where I feel good or bad about myself. Instead we need to teach our kids to have self-respect. To know the truth about themselves. To know what character they have and to live accordingly and with confidence. You don’t do certain things to others or to yourself because you have self-respect. Teach it. Demand it. Live it.

#Beingaleader means you teach them to respect those in authority. With the political and social rancor of our current world, this is a tougher one to demonstrate for them. But the truth still stands. You should respect your elders. Respect your teachers. Respect the officer when they pull you over (or so I’ve heard….) Most importantly, your kids should show respect to you. You may not live in a place where you hear “yes sir” and “yes ma’am” but you should still instill in them a respect for the authority you hold. It is the foundation for how they will connect with the world in the future. The breakdown of the respect for authority is destroying us from within. We have the ability to raise up a generation that can stop that decay and reinstate a “polite” society.

#Beingaleader also means you teach them respect for those around them. General kindness goes a long way. “Do unto others” should still be the refrain that governs our actions towards others. There is simply no reason to bully, harass, disrespect, or treat unkindly those around us. They can do better. And we need to teach them. When asked for some parenting advice one time regarding certain behavior that was displayed by a small child, I asked the parent whether they would still be laughing at this particular behavior when the child turned 13. If not, then they should stop it while they still can.

Being a parent is hard. But if you teach your kids simple manners it will make life so much easier for you and for everyone else. Time to start #beingaleader in your home.