Social and classroom etiquettes every kid needs to learn
Manners and etiquettes are essential life skills that parents need to inculcate in their kids from a very young age. These are social and professional skills that youngsters should learn to imbibe for more reasons than one. Help your kids pick up these social and classroom etiquettes. We tell you why.
Social etiquettes
It may not seem like a big deal to adults, but for teenagers, having a large social circle with a lot of friends mean the world. Not only that, this directly affects their confidence levels, and the ones who don’t have an enriching social life feel left behind and struggle to find their place in the world. This is why it becomes imperative to impart proper social skills in teenagers. This will not only improve the quality of their present life, but also contribute to their future growth. Here are some useful social skills for your middle schoolers and teenagers.
Conversation etiquettes: Kids need to know how to hold engaging conversations with friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers. This comes in handy during any social interaction like parties or get togethers, or any kind of outdoor activities. Teaching teens to be courteous, convincing and overall displaying good manners will greatly benefit them.
Event RSVPs: Teach your youngster how to send out RSVP requests to guests before hosting any private parties or public events. This is how they learn to take up responsibilities, and build trustable relations with people and maintain their social calendars.
Sending out thank-you notes: Thank-you notes go a long way in acknowledging people in social situations. It takes minimum effort but has a significant effect. Teach your teens to write and post thank-you notes after attending events, receiving presents or when someone has done something nice or unexpected for them.
Making others comfortable in your presence: Learning to put others at ease is an essential social skill that needs to be imparted to teens as early as possible. This will not only attract a greater number of friends but also help develop a strong rapport.
Table manners: Learning proper table manners gives teens confidence to have meals in different settings, be it at home, a friend’s house or a restaurant. It also means they get to make a good impression.
Time management: Learning to be punctual is a way to show others that we value their time. Encourage your teen to learn how to manage time as it will benefit him or her in professional life as well.
Saying no to overuse of smartphones: Youngsters need to be taught how to balance their cell phone function during social events. This includes keeping phone calls short or texting fast without drawing others’ attention.
Responding to unwarranted curiosity: Instead of being rude or snarky, the best way to answer curious people is to diffuse their questions and respond according to one’s own terms. The key is to stay calm.
Classroom etiquettes
The etiquettes that teens learn as part of classroom decorum incidentally applies to their future work environment as well. In fact, the hierarchy scheme works similarly in both the spaces. For example, there are teachers in schools, so are bosses in office spaces. Therefore, teaching kids proper formal etiquettes during middle-school helps them develop ideal workplace skills as well. Here are a few essential professional etiquettes that school kids need to learn.
Respecting and acknowledging peers: Be it in a classroom, or in a workspace, maintaining a healthy and respectful relationship with the peers is a must. This not only helps avoid conflicts but also allows students acquire good grades, promotions, and great recommendations. Moreover, they should also learn never to take credit for others’ work, to share praises or criticisms while working in a team and congratulate them for their success. Teach your youngster never to breach their peers’ personal spaces.
Maintaining proper dress code: Youngsters should be made to understand the importance of following dress code in both school and at work. Wearing a clean and ironed uniform to school or putting on a formal attire to office helps make a good and long-lasting impression.
Email or phone call etiquettes: During an indirect communication like email or phone call, using the correct language, courtesies and the right syntax is very important. Make sure that your teen learns this at the earliest as it will help them later in their professional lives. Knowing exactly what to say and when to say comes with a a lot of practice. The key is to get a job done without offending anyone.