Parents in Action: Teaching children 'Etiquette 101'

Teaching kids to use their manners at home is important but even more important is teaching them proper etiquette in school.

Classroom etiquette is all the little courtesies that let your child and many others get a healthy, quality education.

Livestrong.com values respect first.

The site recommends following common courtesies like not speaking when others are speaking, not whispering or passing notes. In general, kids should keep distractions to a minimum.

It's also important for kids to respect other people's opinions and not criticize or make fun when a classmate struggles or gets an answer wrong.

This leads to the next set of advice: proper interactions.

It's important to teach kids to respect another person's space, avoid name-calling, pushing, shoving and teasing. No one should feel threatened or made fun of at school.

"Please", "Thank You" and "I'm Sorry" should be a big part of all of our vocabularies, especially when it comes to children.

Laying a foundation of good manners are a show of respect and help children to grow up to be self-confident and successful adults. So how do you encourage manners for important for everyday life? Here are some things to consider:

1. Reinforce everyday manners; look for the good instead of pointing out all they’re doing wrong.

2. Educate kids on why good manners are important.

3. Set a good example

4. Don’t label your child, they will live up to those labels.

5. Make it fun. Find teachable moments.

6. Get them involved in hosting parties, writing thank you notes, dining out.

For more parenting advice, be sure to visit the Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine website .