Teaching a small child anything requires patience and repetition. Good habits should be encouraged from an early age. The sooner you introduce them, the sooner your little one will catch on.
Janine Trask, a mother of two and a Grade R teacher from Port Elizabeth, says: “Getting started early on good habits is a lot less stressful for everyone, because bad habits are so difficult to ‘unlearn’.”
Gauteng-based psychologist and author Dr Cecile Gericke agrees: “The key to getting it right is to be consistent. Routine brings security and emotional stability for your child, and she will soon learn what you expect from her.”
You may be keen to use every possible opportunity to teach your child good manners, but mind your own actions. “It may sound old and clichéd to practise what you preach, but it’s so true,” Janine says. Children mimic everything from your actions, to your tone
