Tips for Teaching Manners and Etiquette to Children

It is said – “good manners start early”.  That’s why parents start imbibing etiquettes and manners in children from an early age. Children can start learning manners and etiquettes from the age of 2. But parents must take care that they do not over do and pressurize little ones.
 
Parents on special occasions, parties and family gatherings want children to display best of their behavior. For children to exhibit respect, tolerance, and social graces at special times means that they must already be acquainted with societal mores and etiquettes. But how can parents do this?

• Reinforcing positively: There are many ways of doing this, from telling them to what to do or by reinforcing it positively in children.
• Praise and applaud:  Praise your child whenever he displays good manners and etiquette's. This reinforces the behavior. You can express it by saying - "I was proud of your good table manners when we had dinner at Aunt Sonia’s house.” This also lets the child know what he/she is doing is correct.
• Model good manners and etiquette for your child. Showing him what to do yourself. Parents are the foremost and best teachers for the child.
• Please and Thank You: These two phrases are foundation for manners and etiquette's. They are still most valuable and their use shows a person has manners more than anything else. In order to teach these words as a parent you must use them.
• Greetings:  Teaching child, how to greet properly is important. A proper greeting shows confidence and maturity in the child.  The way child meets and greets people showcases lot about his personality. Making eye contact is also important etiquette too.
• Explaining to the child helps in understand: why a certain behavior is proper etiquette or good manners. Provide examples of other people to the child as well. This teaches your child the cause and effect of etiquette.
• Tips and Warnings: Restrict TV shows and programs that pose negative influence on the child as children may pick up bad manners from cartoons, television shows and peers.
• Watch your language and words: Children may grasp foul language and words from the peer group and other avenues. But you can teach kids good manners and impress everyone around them with their knowledge of basic etiquette.
• Follow consistently: You must follow this consistently until good manners become automatic. Soon you'll be proud of your child as he will impress others with his politeness and proper etiquette.

Improving Handwriting Basics in Children

Lots of kids suffer from writing woes due to poor handwriting skills. A child begins writing very young, at first he starts with just scribbles and uses crayons and then he learns to write very basic initial letters with pencils and then later on he switches to pens. Kids are taught cursive with all those swooping and swirling letters but all kids are not able to grasp them well. The reasons could be many like lack of practice, wrong pencil and hand alignment, short- term concentration etc. Parents and teachers by identifying problem at very initial stage can cure it then and there. It will prevent the problem from growing further. It is important to have good foundation and basics for handwriting skills.

Cursive writing is considered as key solution for problems related to handwriting. It is basically writing with graceful loops and perfectly joined letters that eventually brings improvement in the child’s writing. But, it requires lot of practice, what lots of kids fail to do. Today, Cursive is kind of a lost art and less people expertise it.

Many children don’t have proper hand and pen alignment that is they don’t grasp pen/pencil well. Many children hold pen in hooked grasp method, where the wrist is bending forward. This positions child's fingers above his writing and allows him to see what he is writing.  This is a very bad position for writing since it does not allow finger control for good formation of letter. Another, wrong way of holding pencil is using ulnar grasp, where child holds the pencil between his thumb with all four fingers along the shaft. This grasp is adverse and obstructs writing.

For improving handwriting, teachers can give certain fun writing activities at home.  For example, writing letters with cream and jello, focusing on forming letters correctly and consistently.

If a child tries all these tips but still is not able to improve, then he must seek professional help. For children with serious writing problems, they can look for help from occupational therapists. Some kids use and benefit from occupational therapy that helps them with handwriting skills.

Adults should time – again encourage child to write better. If care is taken from the beginning it becomes easier for the child to develop a good writing style. Constant guidance and support can really help child to develop a handwriting, which he can be proud of in future.

ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATION OF PRESIDIUM

Presidium hosted the Annual Day event 2011-2012 in support of its NGO, Sparsh on 18th, 19th and 20th of November at Siri Fort auditorium. The mega event was graced by eminent guests - Smt. Arti Mehra, Former Mayor, Delhi; Sh. K. Rahman Khan Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha; Sh. Sri Prakash Jaiswal, Coal Minister, Govt. of India; Sh. Anurag Thakur, National President, BJYM; Sh. Ismail Darbar, Renowned Musician & Sh. Vijender Gupta, President, BJP Delhi.

Every year Presidium showcases the wondrous talent of children through various performances and thereby instills confidence in them, so that they can move ahead and realize their dreams. Based on this belief was this year’s Annual Day Theme: 'I am because I aim'. It conveys the message that Prideens believe and strive to be what they want to be. Therefore, Annual Day was an attempt to cheer them and prepare them for what they aim.

The mammoth event was inspiring and full of enthusiasm. Parents and grandparents witnessed the spectacular performances by the students. Various academies performed to the best of their ability such as Dance Academy performed on Archway to Heaven, Rise of the Academies, Retro Dazel, Atulya Bharat and Razzmatazz. The academy mesmerized the parents with their breathtaking choreography. The theater academy performed on- ‘I stand for India’ and ‘we know our epics’.  The Music Academy touched the chords by performances of ‘Nightingales of Presidium’. The Social Cause Academy performed on ‘Discover Humanity’ and the Sports Academy on ‘Olympians of Presidium’. The audience was spell bound by their inspirational performances and they even cheered for the little children. 

The performance by special children 
of Savera Special School and Presidians was a beautiful amalgamation of our stand to Raise the Humanity. Since, Presidium is also working for the betterment of society through Sparsh, an NGO dedicated to the cause of less privileged sections of the society. This annual day was not just about celebration but a dedication towards humanity, that’s why a cheque of Rs 51lakhs was presented to Sparsh on behalf of the entire Presidium family.Mrs. Sudha Gupta, renowned parenting expert and chairperson of Presidium expressed her excitement, “We all have gathered here to celebrate the biggest event of the year or as I call it the ‘Festival of Presidium’. Our school has established itself as one of the topmost schools in Delhi/NCR in just 5 years. This wouldn’t have been possible without the passion, dedication and commitment of the entire team of Presidium, especially the teachers. I thank all for making Presidium what it is today.”

Importance of recognizing and handling emotions in children

Identifying and labeling emotions is an important component while growing up. In fact, emotional regulation is essential for children’s overall well being.   Parents need to teach their kids to handle emotions that will help them to foster healthy interactions with the environment around them.

For parents it takes lot of patience and perseverance to raise emotionally healthy children.  Along with that, one needs warm and nurturing bond with the children. No matter how much guidance parents may provide, the children are going to feel sad, afraid, anxious and angry as they may fall into emotional conflicts from time to time. Parents need to remember that they don't have to solve every emotional problem of the child. Let the child handle and experience emotions himself.

Generally, child ranging from age 1 to 16 shows temper tantrums, anger, stumping, door slamming, stubbornness, crying etc. Amongst teenagers silent treatment is very common as most of them may feel shy and timid. Helping children appropriately to manage and express their feelings is an important part of parenting.

Why emotional regulation is important?

Emotional regulation exactly means the ability to process and express range of emotions and ability to react in an appropriate way. Children experience different emotions and they are not able to comprehend them well as they don’t understand what to do when they feel a particular way.

Young children might also misinterpret other’s emotions and get confused, for example, they might not able to distinguish between sadness and anger at times. This makes it very important for adults to communicate their feelings to the children.

If a child knows, how to aptly handle emotions he can lead much more flourishing life and it impacts child’s social, emotional and cognitive development in a positive way.

Problems children face due to ineffective emotion handling- 

•    Such children are usually less socially competent and don’t easily mingle well.

•    May face difficulty in coping with stressful situations.

•    May show aggressive or ego-centric behaviors

•    Such child may exhibit a limited range of emotions

•    Display of negative emotions and outbursts

•    Impacts school life and they become less productive in the classroom.

Benefits of good emotional regulation skills-

•    Such children are able to display experience and manage a range of emotions.

•    They mingle socially well

•    Adjust well when there is change and transition from mood to another

•    Show a high tolerance in crisis

Ensure your child’s safety this Diwali

The vibrant fireworks during Diwali not just excites young ones but it overly-thrills them. So much so that, they easily get caught in the frenzy of lightning colourful sparkles; forgetting about their personal safety. We all often realize the potential dangers associated with lightning firecrackers but we tend to ignore even the most rudimentary precautions.

        Children particularly are most vulnerable during Diwali since they are the ones who are the most enthusiastic about lightning fireworks. It becomes highly essential for parents to educate their children about firework safety. They should teach them – how to avoid getting hurt while lightning sparklers and crackers. If safety measures are not adopted properly then one may end up sustaining burns and injuries in the midst celebration moods. Therefore, children must be taught to follow the warnings written on the cracker packets and to abide by the methods of lightning crackers mentioned there.Fireworks can cause havoc if they are lighted in busy areas. Rockets are most dangerous as they are shot off in random directions causing injury to people, also entering homes and setting things on fire. Caution and proper care can ensure a safe and fulfilled Diwali  and it all boils down to a few simple dos and don’ts, that one must follow to be safe.

Dos - 

• Parents must supervise their children while lightning fireworks.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water ready as you may require.
• Make children light crackers and especially rockets in the open ground.
• Keep first -aid box ready. Ensure that you include burn ointment in the first-aid.
• Teach children to hold sparklers and other crackers away from the body.
• Check if there are no inflammable materials near.
• Discard used fireworks in a bucket of water.

 Don’ts

•  Tell your children not to throw or point fireworks at other people.  
• Don’t let your child wear Nylon clothes while lighting crackers; cotton is safest. 
• Never ignite aerial fireworks where overhead obstruction trees wires etc. or even heavy wind exists
• Don’t let children bend over to light firework.    
• Never leave young toddlers unattended 
•  Don’t let children hold fireworks in the hand and lighten them up. 
• Don’t let them light firecrackers with a matchstick but rather with a candle - this ensures sufficient distance between their hands and the cracker

Importance of extra-curricular activities in school

 It is imperative for students to participate in the school’s extra –curricular activities. Indulgence in these activities not only surfaces child’s interest but also helps him to sort out his future goals. Also, students can have their interests expanded by showing their inclination towards these events. It is must for all schools to have wide range of activities so as to encourage involvement of students in at least one activity. Besides focusing on academics, schools must facilitate these activities to every student. These activities could consist of anything such as joining school’s debate team, sports, and dance or music guilds. 

One such school which truly believes in student participation in the extra-curricular activities is “Presidium Senior Secondary School”. It lays lot of emphasis on all-round development of a child's personality. Presidium is a school where teaching is not about knowledge downloads, but fostering excellence. Presidium has groups such as adventure sports, taekwondo, yoga, aerobics, dance etc.

Adventure sports

 Children are exposed to activities in an in-house 'Adventure Zone' like fox flying, artificial river crossing, wall climbing, commando crawl, tunnel crossing, height jump, Tarzan jump, balancing beam, Burma bridge, commando net, ring track, sit-up bench, parallel bar dips, parallel rope walking (obstacle sports) and many more. These are best confidence building techniques where the child is able to shed his/her fear of darkness, height, being alone, and most importantly the fear of failure.

Taekwondo, Yoga and Aerobics

Experts are helping Presidians develop a balanced and healthy mind by beginning each morning with meditation and yoga. Children are also learning to flex and align their bodies through aerobics. Taek-won-do apparently may look like a physical exercise, but is a means to attain both physical and mental health.

 DANCE
Children get exposure to contemporary dance and various other dance forms like folk dances. The children are prepared for various inter school competitions and performances as well as celebrations within the school.

Music

Children are given the opportunity to learn light as well as Indian classical music. Also children are made to learn various instruments of their choice like casio, drums, guitar etc.

Art and Craft 
 An exposure to creative skills is provided through regular classes of art and craft. Children learn to create the best out of waste material and create things out of their imagination..

Don’t just be a parent to your child, become his best buddy!!

As a child enters teen years, he needs a philosopher, a guide and a friend. What could be better if he gets them all of them in one and that too from you (his parents). Befriending your child is the best advice for all parents who want to know their child better in his transition phase from child to a teenager and then adult. Change is inevitable, so are the doubts that may crop up in the mind of the parents as their child grows up. Definitely parents find evolution tougher than children themselves. They may get bothered by the some common questions from time to time like - Is my child in a wrong company? Is he neglecting his studies? etc.

Communicate freely

Conversing openly and freely with your child is the prime suggestion for all parents. Create comfy and secure environment for him whenever you want to hold an important conversation. Also, be a good listener. Let your child express himself fully and avoid reacting negatively even if he acts erroneously. Slowly develop a friendly bond with him and treat him like your pal, which your child would value and love. Some of the common worries which many parents have are regarding child’s indulgence into drinking, smoking and doping. It is difficult to keep a track of your child all the time. Rather, you spying at your child, set a pact with your child where he informs about himself. He will talk openly if you will show a positive reaction to his thoughts. Also, caution your children about negative impacts these habits can generate; make them understand and not scold them. 

Be friend your child’s friends

Provide your child full freedom to choose his pals and as a parent respect his choice. You need to understand importance of friends and how they are very integral part of his life. So, never show indifferent attitude towards his friends. Try not being a moral police officer rather behave as a friend. Also, accept the opposite sex as a good friend of your child and try and invite him/her at your place for lunch or dinner so that you will get to know them better.

Be a listener

Whenever possible spend as much time with your child as possible. Listen to him patiently and calmly; take his views seriously and understand what he is trying to say. He might make some errors but as good parents talk to him patiently, rather over reacting on his decisions. You may not like some new changes in him, but accept those changes.

  
It is ok to draw a deadline for your child, if you provide him freedom you can even keep a tab on his behavior. All you must keep in mind is that all this shouldn’t create fear for you in his mind, which will further avert him from sharing anything. Make parenting a happy experience and craft memories that will you will treasure all through your life.

Teachers are the nation-builders

Teachers lend a significant hand in nation building and truly they are called as nation –builders. Their contribution towards development of the society and a country as a whole is noteworthy.  Having an access to a good teacher helps you in the sphere of personal and social development. A teacher not only teaches or trains but wholly nurtures the future assets of our nation. They act as a role model who provides direct guidance and positive support to the students in times uncertainty. 


Right kind of education is the need of the hour as it can add momentum to the growth progress. It is the right of the every child to get best level of education with proper infrastructure and most importantly trained and motivated teachers who can not only act as facilitators of education but also guide students towards their life goals. In any country where teachers are neglected, their progress also gets deterred. It is only a teacher who influences the immature minds of the youth and leads them in the rightful direction. So, if the teachers are ignored, the country cannot advance. Therefore, teacher acts as a catalyst, resource, and observer for its students.

Honoring teachers on Teacher’s Day

This day beholds great pride and honor for teachers. On this occasion one gets a chance to think about teachers and thank them for their endless service. The main motive behind the celebration of the Teacher's Day is to commend the efforts of teachers and to pass the message that we really care for them. As the part of the celebration varied events are organized in schools and colleges. Students dress up like their teachers and teach in the junior classes. Teachers are also entertained in a number of ways where special programs like dance, drama and music are organized mostly by the students. Only by celebrating and recognizing the efforts of the teachers we can motivate them further. Then only they will be able to play their vital role as nation builders. Then solely education will become a vital source of national integration.