Teaching Children Manners Makes Life Easier For Everyone * Kandis Carper Can Be Reached A (509) 459-5485 Or By E-Mail At Kandisc@Spokesman.Com.
Teaching your child good manners takes patience and a sense of humor. Although your immediate goal may be to simply avoid embarrassment, teaching children proper etiquette for all types of interactions will make their lives easier at home and in public.
Parents have many opportunities this time of year to teach their children good manners. The December/January issue of Parenting Magazine offers these tips for teaching holiday manners.
* Opening gifts: Before holiday get-togethers, tell your 3-year-old that he’ll probably enjoy some presents more than others, even though every gift giver wants to make him happy. Teach your children to say “thank you” and find one nice thing to mention about each present, such as “This sweater has lots of pretty colors.”
* Writing thank-you notes: Your little ones don’t actually have to write the cards. They can dictate a message to you, draw or scribble a picture, put stickers on it, or use nifty inked stamps. Try to find time to write the note shortly after your child has received the present and it still is fresh in his memory.
* Helping out: Offering to set the table, load the dishwasher or throw away the wrapping paper shows thoughtfulness when you’re the guest. Even if the offer is declined, the host will appreciate the gesture.
* Saying goodbye: Whether it’s a play date or lavish holiday party, children should get used to thanking the host when you do as you leave.
* Stocking stuffer for teens: Quicken.com retirement columnist Don Silver has an idea for a unique stocking stuffer for your teens and young adults. Silver, the author of “The Generation Y Money Book: 99 Smart Ways to Handle Money” (Adams-Hall Publishing, $15.95), states: “There should be a class in school called Money Smarts 101 to teach young people how to handle money. Many schools don’t teach this important skill, and most parents find it awkward to discuss.”
“When kids graduate college today, too many of them walk out of school with a diploma in one hand and student loan bills and a credit card statement for thousands of dollars in the other. A recent national survey suggests that high school seniors’ knowledge about money management has gone from bad to worse,” Silver said. Only 21 percent of students between ages 16 and 22 have taken a personal finance course through school. Thirty-one percent of students ages 16 through 22 say their parents rarely or never discuss setting financial goals.
The 99 chapters cover “Money-Smart Ways” to think about money, live day to day, shop, work, handle debt and credit, make charitable gifts, discuss money with parents, save and pay for college, deal with financial institutions, handle paperwork and make money grow.
* Gifts for the elderly: Sometimes coming up with gift ideas for seniors can present a real challenge. Here are some bright gift ideas for the elderly from Home Instead Senior Care, a home-care service company:
* Energy gift certificate: Call the local utility company and arrange for a gift certificate to cover a portion or a full month’s utility bill.
* Flannel bedsheets: This is a smart and safe alternative to an electric blanket.
* Large print wall calendar: The bigger the better.
* Audio books: Listening to a classic story can be easier and more enjoyable for someone who is homebound.
* Personal care gift certificates: Give an elderly person a gift certificate for a beauty shop, manicure or a licensed massage therapist — things they wouldn’t buy for themselves.