By Elizabeth Torres Herrera

Making children behave with good manners is always the illusion of all parents. But not always easy. Good manners are part of a gradual apprenticeship, which must always take into account the age of children. Another important aspect that is impossible to forget is the need to establish and maintain rules to be observed. Often, children forget learned good manners because they are driven by their impulses. Resist personal impulses and gain control is not an easy target. What can be done to achieve it?

First, it is important that when you start striving for good manners, not too many goals at once. Young children often do not accept many rules at once. Moreover, it is also good to establish these rules in a simple manner. Are sufficient direct phrases like "son, you can not leave the table without asking permission". They often try to rebel against the norm, offering an endless number of reasons, actually, they are just for them. You have to listen.

Many parents resort to a kind of bribe to get their children to go to reach the various goals in that ongoing effort to master the most basic rules of courtesy. Without doubt, this is a method that usually get immediate results. Anyway, is not always the most appropriate, since this system carries the message that such good manners are not intrinsically values. That is, if we have to wait your turn to speak or keep good table manners, this is not due to the merits of this way of acting, but the reward comes later. At times, it is convenient to use that kind of bribery when children are not yet old enough to understand the true meaning of being polite. But the risk for many parents is that maybe continue using that system in the future.

As in many other aspects of the child's education, discipline is key when trying to instill good manners. Naturally, no one is calling for punishment, much less physical. But when children show an absolute lack of good manners and when continuously violates the rules have been established and he has covered all its reality, is essential to be firm, but without excess. The removal of a privilege is usually more than enough punishment for the child to realize that their mode of action has not been the best.

We must not ever go to coercive methods, such as insults, shouts or threats. After all, what you are trying is to assimilate the children good manners and respect, and if we are doing so little show of the same, they will continue committing sins. For children the process of imitation is of paramount importance. Therefore, we need to show good manners if we really want children to do likewise.