It is the actions we take that show people around us who we are! It is also our actions that show others around us how to behave in our presence.

Do you find yourself frustrated by how your children treat you? Are you beside yourself with how they speak to you? Over and over and over again, I hear from parents that their kids are rude. Parents are shocked at the tone their kids use, the language they use and the manners they have.

I don’t always know where kids learn this behavior, though I have some suspicions.

I do know how to change the behavior!

First, you need to model what you want. If you want your kids to be polite to you, you MUST be polite to them. Think about it, do you say please and thank you when speaking with your kids?

Second, you need to teach them directly. Don’t hope they figure it out, spell it out for them. Talk about the behavior your want to see, over and over and over again.

Third, put the teaching into practice. As in, you create situations for your small one to practice the skills you want them use.

If you want your kids to say please and thank you – then you need to use them, talk about using them and then practice your kids using them.

For more details on exactly how to do this, check out my video from this week! It is Chapter 10 from Love Your Family Again. I share the best way to teach your kids to say please and thank you every time!