Teaching Children Manners.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 133, 22 February 1909, Page 4

Teaching Children Manners.

Mothers cannot begin too early to teach their children to be polite. Their manners at table, their mistakes in speech, their behavour towards strangers should be gently criticsed and their errors pointed out, but not in a censorious way, nor in such a fashion that a shy sensitive child would feel that he is being held up to ridicule. Indeed, ridicule of each other's little weaknesses should be apbsolutely forbidden by every wise mother, for nothing more readily hurts or offends the susceptibilities of a little child. Some children are painfully shy, especially in the matter of entering a room and shaking hands with a number of strangers. The ordeal is quite "fearsome," anl Rome there are who never appear to outlive either the torture or the awkwardness of such an experience. Little ones should be taught to shake hands properly, and to reply nicely to inquiries about themselves or their parents. They should not be allowed either to offer their left hand or to assure everybody that they are "fine." "Quite well, thank you," is just as easily said, and sounds ever so much better. Boys should be instructed to raise their caps properly and to be specially polite to ladies. Very few people nowadays repeat the adage that children should be seen and not heard, for the period of repression is happily gone, and whilst there may be mothers who rush to the opposite extreme, and allow their young folks to monopolise the conversation, and air their views in the most grown-up fashion, there are others, bright, intelligent women, who take no pains to "draw out" their boys and girls, or to encourage them to talk, and then the mothers marvel that their sons and daughters are boorish in company, and have never a word to say for themselves. It will be found a good plan when a mother sometimes takes part in the "make-believe" games of her family, if she assume the role of hostess, entertain the little ones to a tea party, and coach them as to how they would acquit themselves anl act if they were in Mrs White's parlour, instead of their own. In this way the children might learn what is expected of them, so that when they did fare forth into their little world tbey would earn and merit the compliment of being well bred.