Teaching your Child how to behave in Public: 5 Ideas for your Benefit

A young child learns manners and social skills by imitating what adults do. This behavior falls into two categories – a genuine personal respect and concern for others born of positive learning, and “formal” behavior conforming to societal demands.

As a child’s social awareness and sense of empathy develop, these skills do mature. When the child is exposed to situations outside home for the first time, behaving in an appropriate manner on her own can be a challenge.

One example of such a situation is exposure to the childcare life and she may not be equipped to face it as you might expect. There are certain things you can do, as a parent, to prepare your child and make the new daycare experience rather pleasant.

5 Ideas for you to follow

To inculcate in your child behavior appropriate for childcare and other situations outside home, you may follow these five simple ideas:

1. Be consistent in enforcing rules of good behavior

It will be confusing for a child to be asked to behave in one way at home and in a completely different manner when outside home; it will lead to resentment against what the child may consider unfair. Have a basic set of rules that the child must always follow, whether at home or outside.

Of course, home atmosphere will be more relaxed and easygoing. Do your best to make the child understand that her behavior ‘outside home’ should be impeccable.

2. Be realistic

Your child is a child indeed, not an adult. Public behavior often means sitting still and keeping quiet – things that do not come naturally to a young child. Children are impulsive, irresistibly playful and energetic, and find it difficult to relate their action to the response it evokes in others.

Do not expect your child to be a role model for other children. Patience and understanding of child psychology will go a long way in helping your child learn social behavior, giving up irritable public manners.

3. Stick to the rules you have set


If you are lenient toward your child when she breaks a rule you have set for public behavior, she will get the impression that it is okay for her to break rules; she will then try to test how much she can get away with.

However, losing your temper on such occasions will make her unhappy, and will not help in driving home the message that the violation of the rule was wrong. Be firm and if you can, take the child away from the place. In time, the message will sink in.

4. Be clear about the necessity and the positive aspects of childcare

Make it clear to your child that going to childcare is a ‘must’. Highlight the positive aspects like making new friends, playing new games, eating with other children, having great fun and so on.

5. Make the transition easy

The change from the home environment to that of childcare can be hard for any child. You need to find the right childcare for making the transition easy for your child. A positive and pleasant childcare experience will help your child adapt to other new situations that will follow, like starting school or facing major challenges much later in life.

The best way to find the right childcare for your child is to draw the benefit of experience and research from a reputed website that specializes in helping parents find the right care center for their children.

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