How to Teach Manners Without Having to Teach Manners
I wrote a piece for another website a few years ago (and a chapter in my book as well) about how I don’t force my kids to say please and thank you, and how all of that social pressure is not the only way to get a “polite” child. Well, people flipped out and called me a horrible mother and said I am the worst person ever and have no respect for society blah blah blah.
Besides the fact that RIE and other progressive parenting philosophies teach this kind of approach, the notion is that modeling polite behavior (which I do very consistently) works if done strategically. I have great “results” with my boys, who are very polite and sensitive and have even learned the art of “Thank you for this gift, Bubbie and Zaidy” and whispering to me after, “I don’t like it, Mama.” Read the rest of this entry →
