As the world grows steadily indifferent to social graces, simple courtesies that create an environment of honor, peace, and order are being lost. Manners matter. Simple courtesies brighten everyone’s day and even more greatly grow the generous giver. They reflect God’s teachings.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
The Call to Delightful Living
Manners are a reflection of kindness, honor, and courtesy to all we encounter. Charlotte Mason encouraged courteous behavior to those our lives touch. Children have souls that need to be nourished, and they need to cultivate a taste for truth, goodness and beauty. Charlotte wrote, “The stakes are high and the opportunities are great. In fact, It may be that the souls of all children are waiting for the call of knowledge to awaken them to delightful living.”
How do we make sure we are teaching and expecting the habit of manners with our young children?
Opportunities to Answer the Call of Delightful Living
Courteous gestures
- Greeting those we know with eye contact – in the morning with a “Good morning, Mother.”
- Greeting those we do not know with a pleasant smile and eye contact
- Saying please and thank you.
Kindness and Respect
- Ask for forgiveness
- Eye contact
- Be a good listener – “To listen with all one”s mind is an act of delicate courtesy which draws their best out of even dull people.” Charlotte Mason Vol 4 Book 1 pg 76
- Saying yes and no ma’am and sir
- Encourage your children to think the best of other people
- Encourage your children to defend another even when they are absent
- Help siblings respond to kindly to one another even when faced with a sibling’s temper or injury
Cheerfulness
- Do all things without grumbling or disputing. Remember that you might be the one cheerful voice in another’s day. Philippians 2:14
Consistent Expectations in the Home
- Respectful language
- Speak in complete sentences
- Ask for forgiveness
- Give encouragement
- Receive punishment graciously
- Do your best
- Eye contact
- Dinner table – no interruptions
- Perfect execution- do your best
- Delay gratification
- Words, actions, ask for forgiveness, eye contact
At Heritage
Habit training, including the practice of polite manners, is taught with intentionality and consistency. Remember that God teaches his children – blessings and discipline. Faithful discipline is love. It is our desire to develop a joy for learning in the children that is rooted in kindness and respect. This approach establishes solid habits and the children find joy in their academics for the rest of their lives. Charlotte Mason says “We begin with the awareness that any repeated action either becomes a good habit or a bad habit”. The young children are taught to show respect for adults by consistently using respectful language including “yes ma’am, please and thank you”
