Parents can shape a better future of their kids by encouraging them to follow a set of house rules and guidelines. Setting house rules gives opportunities to parents to impart good manners in kids and maintain a compassionate and respectful for others. It helps them develop social skills and guide how to interact with others in a gracious manner.

Here are some following house rules that will help you teach discipline to your kids and make them future leaders:

Table manners: Basic table manners should be firmly instilled in kids as early as possible. Start teaching your kids some basic table manners like – always wash hands before eating, don’t talk much while eating, right usage of spoon and fork, use of table napkins/tissues, and much more. You can also take help of age-appropriate lessons to reinforce table manners and etiquettes. Tell them to arrive at the table with clean hands and maintain a good posture. Teach how to remove the napkin from the table and place across the lap to avoid any accidental food stain on the clothes. Ask them to remain seated until everyone has finished the food. Teach them to chew food with mouth closed. These simple measures will help them understand the importance of table manners.

Hello & Goodbye: It is essential to inculcate greeting skills in kids at an early stage. Ask your kids to always greet the guests, friends, and relatives. Even if you are coming from outside, help them to develop a habit of saying “hello” or “welcome back”. When you are leaving the house for work or something, encourage your little one to say “bye” or “have a nice day”. It’s the first step in teaching them how to recognize and greet people. You can also show your love towards your kids with a simple good morning every day so that they can also develop this positive habit with time.

Phone Manners: Usually, we don’t allow our kids to receive phone calls. Therefore, they lack the basic communication skills that are required while taking a call. You should teach them how to attend a phone call in your absence. Ask them to attend the call with a simple – Hello! Teach them to say, “May I know who’s calling?” or “I’m sorry, my parents are not here right now. May I take a message?” Teach them to answer nicely. If you are at home and your kids answer the call, teach them to ask who is calling and politely say, “Please hold.”

Teach Writing Thank-You Notes: Though we are living in a digital era, teaching your kids to write thank you notes will not only embed manners in them but also set the foundation for good writing skills. Don’t force your kids to write if they are facing issues. Let your kids dictate the content and write on their behalf. While writing, explain to them the basic aspects of writing so that they can write a thank-you note in the future. You can encourage them to draw a “smiling face” or “flower” at the bottom to add a fun element to this learning activity.

Teach the Importance of Please, Thank-You & Sorry: Though these are very simple words, it is a challenging task for parents to make kids understand their importance and use the words in apt situations. You can apply these words in your day to day activities to make kids learn better. Say “thank-you” whenever they offer you some help! If you want to get something done from their end, practice the word “please”. Even if you are doing a simple conversation with your partner, use these words suitably to encourage this positive behavior in them.

Avoid using Rude Remarks: Guide your kids that they should speak to people in a polite way. Ask them to not use rude remarks such as “shut up,” or speaking in an unfriendly tone of voice (even when they are having a disagreement in the opinions). As a parent, you should also avoid using harsh remarks against anyone because they will pick up these behaviors from you and copy the same.

If you want to raise your kids well and create future leaders, take care of your own behavior and make sure you are consistently practicing good manners yourself.