Fort Building Ideas To Teach Politeness & Good Manners
Posted March 26, 2023 by Fort Magic
Manners, something every kid has. Some good and some bad, but they are there. Are you looking for an easier way to teach your kids how to be polite and how to learn good manners? Here at Fort Magic, we know that teaching manners can be tricky, especially when your kids have outside influences that are not always the best. There are a few strategies that parents can use. Bringing fort ideas into the plan to teach manners is always a good thing, especially with our Fort Magic fort building kit.
Simple Strategies to Teach Manners
There are a few simple strategies that you can use to teach your children what manners are good and which ones are bad. This is not something your children will learn overnight. In fact, it will take many years for your children to learn, and still as adults, you may see some people struggle.
1. Praise Your Child
When you hear your kids using good manners, always praise them for it. Positive reinforcement will help them know it is a great thing to keep doing. For young children, this could be a simple “Great job saying thank you” for older children you can praise them for putting their phone away at dinner or for greeting someone when they enter the room. Younger children should be praised right away while older kids tend to get embarrassed and it can be in a private conversation.
2. Model Polite Behavior
The best way to teach your kids is to be a good role model. Pay attention to how you speak to your spouse, your family, and friends, and even your kids. They take all that in and will mimic your behavior. Remember to speak politely and to say thank you. This can oftentimes be harder when you are comfortable with someone and you tend to joke around a lot.
Another thing is to be careful how you handle a situation when you are upset. If you need to walk away and revisit a situation, do so. Raising your voice and using harsh words is not something you want your kids to mimic and little eyes are always watching.
3. Role-Play Situations
Some situations can be difficult for kids to understand and they may not know exactly how to respond. One instance is going out to eat. If your family does not do it frequently your child may not know how to act. Some things to explain could be the basic keep your phone put away, elbows off the table, thanking your server, tipping, and not getting upset if the order is wrong.
Another instance you could role-play is a birthday party. It seems like someone is always having a birthday. Either your kid is having one or going to one. Some good manners they should have while attending a party could include thanking the host for inviting them. not opening someone else’s gift, and if it is their part they should thanks to their guests for coming and thank everyone for the gift brought. You could even have them write thank-you notes the day after the party.
4. Explain
When you see your kids using good or bad manners, simply explain to them why it is right or wrong. Letting them know in a simple short way is easier. Most kids hate getting fussed at and will not listen to a long-drawn-out speech. They have an easier time remembering simple and brief explanations.
An example could be if your child is chewing loudly with their mouth open. Remind them politely, “Others do not want to see the food in your mouth. Can you try chewing with your mouth closed?” This is simple and to the point and explains why they should not continue this behavior.
5. Keep Manners Age-Appropriate
When it comes to your kids learning manners make sure they are age-appropriate. A 4-year-old will not understand putting their phone away at the table, because they do not have one. They will understand saying please, thank you, yes ma’am, no ma’am, and so forth.
A teenager should know the basic manners, but they should also know how to keep their phone put away at the table, how to write thank-you notes, and greet someone when they enter the room.
Good Manners
Some good manners that all children should know are:
- Say please and thank you
- Look people in the eye when you speak to them
- Apologize
- Make Small Talk
- Say excuse me
- Share
- Treat others the way you want to be treated
Let’s Build Some Forts!
Now the fun part! Incorporating learning good manners into fort building. Ask your children to build a fort with you. Make sure to use your manners, saying please and thank you when asking for pieces and building together. As you are building make small talk with your children and look each other in the eyes when speaking. Respect each other’s personal space, but work together as a team to get the fort built. See how easy it is to show manners with fort building.
Fort Ideas for Teaching Manners
A Fort Magic Building Kit can give you many design options. We are going to do a basic house shape fort to explain some manners that can be taught. Once you have your house built with the kids, practice role-playing. Have your children share the space with each other. Then have them invite others to play with them. Once they have been invited, remind them to say thank you.
Looking for other ideas to teach manners with a fort? Bring a kids size table, chairs, and tea set into the fort. Here you can have your children dress up in their Sunday best and complement each other on how nice they look. They can then make small talk with each other and practice eating with elbows off the table. Last, have your children treat each other as they want to be treated while playing with the forts they have built together.
Manners are never exactly easy to teach to your kids, but letting them have fun while teaching them is the best way for them to learn. What fort ideas do you have to help teach manners? Let us know!
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Photo Credits:
Uncommon Designs Blog: Uncommon Designs is a blog dedicated to creating a beautiful life. From special touches in your home to making handmade gifts, this fun blog shares projects and ideas that are both “on trend” and classic. If you enjoy creating, then Uncommon Designs is the perfect place for you.
The Artful Parent Blog: One of our absolute favorite creative blogs for children and families. The Artful Parent blog is filled with simple ideas to fill your family’s life with art and creativity. A must-see blog for sure.
Learn With Play At Home Blog: An inspiring educational blog created by a primary teacher that strongly believes in making learning FUN & seamless through childhood playtime ideas and activities.
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