You know those types of kids who make going in public a nightmare. Screaming, crying, impeding on your
experience. Just imagine how they act at home! On the flip side you’ve probably also been around children
who are polite and fun to be around. You can ensure your kids become the latter by using these tips.

At home, make being polite a rule that the whole family follows. If your kids know that impolite and rude
behaviors aren’t acceptable and won’t be acknowledged, it will promote thinking before they speak and act.
If those behaviors aren’t used at home, your kids won’t use them in public. This should be a top priority
especially when the kids are younger. When they act or speak impolitely, tell them why it was rude and
have them redo it using their manners. The more examples they’re shown of how not to act will help teach
them the ability to self-discipline and eventually they’ll self-correct their mistakes. They don’t necessarily
understand why certain speech and actions would be interpreted as impolite so be consistent, firm and
supportive when talking to them about inappropriate behaviors. The more practice they have at home, the
quicker they’ll catch on.

Start early. As soon as kids can talk, they can imitate. Make sure you always say “please” and “thank you”
when warranted and encourage your kids to do the same. When they’re old enough, have them begin to
speak for themselves in public. The more you can get them socialized with all kinds of people, the more
ways you have to teach them about [Read more…]

One of the hardest things for anyone to deal with is the death of a loved one. This is especially true when
it comes to the innocent and optimistic nature of a child. Oftentimes, in their mind, (pets and) people are
supposed to live forever. It never even occurs to them that one day someone that they care about will be
gone.

And so, when it comes to helping your kids deal with the loss of a loved one, things have to be handled
very gently and strategically; it has to be done in a way that will introduce them to the reality that death is a
part of life without breaking their cheerful spirit.

Be “age appropriate” honest. Sometimes we forget that children are simply little people; little people
with a lot of emotional resilience and so in handling many things, sometimes they can do so better than we
do. However, based on their age level, their way of processing will be different; how a five-year-old will
understand death is vastly different from how a 12-year-old would. Therefore, in sharing the information,
while being honest (the loved one is not on vacation, they died), make sure to present the facts on a level
that is within a child’s comprehension. A younger child may need to hear, “Grandma died, this means she is
not coming back to visit us anymore” while an older child will be better equipped to hear the details (upon
request).

Answer all questions. As best as you can. Because death is such a permanent situation, it definitely takes
the heart awhile to catch up with the head. During this time, your child may have a lot of questions as they
try and grasp the concept of what is going on. Chances are, you are in your own stages of grieving when it
comes to the loss, but purpose to be as compassionate and informative as possible. [Read more…]