##Manners are a must

Hello blog family, 
Today I was thinking about how important it is to me to raise my children to be polite respectful people.  I can't count the number of times I've heard kids demanding things without saying please or thank you while we are out and about. That type of behavior is not tolerated at my house.  Even my son who is soon to be two says please and thank you without being prompted 98% of the time.

My fiance and I are constantly reminding our kids that they won't get anywhere in life with the wrong attitude. We don't let our kids bully each other and we tell them to stick up for other kids who are being bullied. We tell our kids if someone is being bullied and they don't have friends you need to be that person's friend.  Imagine if every parent monitored the way their child spoke to other people.  Imagine if every person empowered their children to be advocates and protect the bullied.

My daughter seems to rub many kids the wrong way. She is extremely loving and curious.  She is constantly wanting to hug and hold hands and pull you where she wants to be. She asks questions over and over but her heart is gold! If you are sick, sad, or hurt her concern and compassion is amazing for someone so small. As I said, though, many kids are irritated by her constant touching and questioning, Unfortunate, she has already been bullied.

As her mom, it's super heart-breaking to see her sad because other kids don't always want to play with her. For that reason I've had to toughen her up and explain people won't always want to play with you or be your friend but that's okay!! You can play by yourself or play with someone else. For this reason, we implemented the phrase "oh well, their loss." If someone is mean to her now, she tells them she doesn't like the way they are acting and she's going to play by herself.

I think it is so important not only make sure your child is not a bully but also to make sure your child knows how to stick up for themselves. No matter the age of your child, it is extremely important to have an open line of communication. My daughter tells me every detail about everything and I'm so thankful.

I try to partner with parents hold their children to the same standards.. I don't judge anyone or criticize their parenting but I do cringe on the inside when I'm around a child who is disrespectful or has no manners.

Maybe it's the summers I spent growing up in the south or my up bringing with my no-nonsense mama.

What about you?  Do you cringe when kids have no manners or are you not affected by it? Has your child ever been bullied?

Bye for now
Southern Belle Sante