Get Ready for School with a Bus Etiquette Review

If your children take a school bus or public transit to school, make bus etiquette part of your back to school preparations. After relaxing throughout the summer, your children have probably fallen out of their school routines including their bus etiquette. Start by waking them a little earlier each day to practice for those early mornings and to ensure they will be on time for the bus. Here are a few more bus etiquette tips to review with your children:

• Greet the bus driver with a smile and “Good Morning”. At the end of the ride, say “Thank you”.
• Keep school bags on your lap to allow others to sit down. No shouting or making rude noises.
• Keep your ipod volume down. The person next to you may not share your taste in music.
• If the bus is full, offer your seat to an adult, senior, or person with a physical disability.
• If you have food or drinks on the bus, be careful not to spill or drop food on the seats or floor.
• When you leave the bus, take your rubbish (water bottles, food wrappers, and so on) with you.

 

What Is a Good Age to Start Teaching Manners?

Any age is a good age. One is never too young or too old to learn good manners. Start how you mean to go on and start today!

I was recently on an international flight from Europe to Vancouver. A relatively long haul even for the best seasoned traveller. In the row in front of me sat a young couple and their adorable 18 month old son whom, unfortunately, had the most awful cough and cold. While my heart went out to the poor little chap who was coughing and sneezing away into thin air I also felt sorry for my fellow travellers, especially those prone to respiratory infections.

It is just as easy to teach children the good manners of coughing and sneezing into their upper arm as it is to demonstrate playing Patty-Cake by clapping your hands. Make a game of it and pretend to cough and sneeze into your upper arm. Children love games and learn through role play. Eventually, through practise, they will exercise good manners naturally – without prompting!

Teens and Money

We love our teens and the young adults in our families. We care about their future. In fact in economic times such as they are, we especially care about their financial future.

This scenario may sound familiar to many of you with teens, and young adults, in your family that are learning to drive. The big day for the driving test looms in the not too distant future and your teen states, “My Instructor says I only need a few more lessons before the test and I will Pass, Mum.” Another $365.00 vacuumed from your bank account and you think you are done with disposing of your hard earned cash for the evening. That is until your teen produces a receipt for $5.36  for Uncle Joe’s birthday card, he/she bought for you on the way home. Presenting it with “MUM” neatly written on the top. For your information, that’s in case you forget to pay up.

Now, I understand there are a lot of teens and young adults who have not been fortunate enough  to find work and, to them, every penny counts. That being said, there are many who have been able to find work and you will find that their cell phone bills could pay a mortgage and they think nothing of dropping $100 on something that resembles a dish rag to wear on their back.

Back to the $365.00 vs $5.36 scenario. By training teens and young adults the etiquette courtesies and values that are associated with money and the exchange of money we pass on those rules that make society function more smoothly and, in the household, more harmoniously.

A thought for your teen, ” Gee, maybe I shouldn’t ask Mum for that $5.36. After all, she did just pay for my driving lessons.”

If we allow rules of appreciation and etiquette to slide teens assume that manners have no real  intrinsic value and need only be used when convenient. Such as the next time they feel the need to help you vacuum your bank account.

Bicycle Safety Considerations

With the nicer weather, more and more people are getting out their bicycles to spend time outdoors. I’m blessed to live in the Greater Vancouver area where cities and municipalities have set up multiple bicycle paths, as well as skate and bike parks. However, I was recently reminded of the importance of teaching children about using their bicycles safely in the community.

I was walking through a parking lot at a local office complex when I was nearly run down by a couple of children on their bicycles. The children, in their tweens, were using the parking lot and wheelchair ramp into the office building as a track to race their bicycles. The experience brought to mind the many dangers this practice poses for both the riders and other pedestrians who may be using the area: an elderly person may not have been able to move out of the way as quickly as I was able to when the bikes came racing out onto the sidewalk, a driver may have opened a car door into the bikers’ paths as they sped by either knocking them off their bikes or causing them to swerve dangerously, a car may have been backing up and the young riders might not have had time to get out of the way, and so on.

Before allowing your children to ride their bicycles, be sure they understand the rules of the road and adhere to them. Remind them of the following bicycle safety rules:

• The rules of the road apply to car parks the same as any other road
• Riding on sidewalks is generally prohibited for anyone over 8 years of age
• Always be aware of your surroundings including pedestrians, drivers, and other cyclists and be prepared to avoid hazards that may appear suddenly
• Ride in control
• Be respectful and use areas as they are intended

Bicycling is a wonderful activity for youth and should be encouraged. If your neighbourhood does not currently have a skate and bike park where youth can ride their bikes and practice tricks on ramps and bars in a safe area, advocate to have one installed.

Kind regards,
Elizabeth

Teaching Gratitude to Children

Gratitude is an important life skill that can have a lifelong impact on overall happiness and life satisfaction. Not only does it foster feelings of empathy and consideration for others, but it reduces feelings of entitlement and chronic disappointment all too common in our busy, self-indulged society. Nonetheless, teaching children to be grateful can be challenging.

Simply saying “Please” and “Thank You” and sending thank you cards is not the same as being grateful; although you might do those things, and good etiquette suggests that you should. Gratitude results when you notice and appreciate what you have. Unfortunately, many people don’t notice what they have until it’s gone and the tricky part of teaching gratitude is encouraging children to appreciate what they have without feeling guilty for having it.

Try the following suggestions for encouraging your children to notice and appreciate what they have.

Be a Good Role Model
Children learn much more through observation than from being told so make sure you model gratitude. Say “Please” and “Thank you” to your children, let them see you happily writing thank you cards, and express your appreciation for what you have often.

Make a Point of Noticing and Appreciating Small Things Every Day
Incorporate gratitude into conversations and daily activities (“We’re so lucky to have this park to play in.” “Isn’t that bird beautiful?” “I’m so happy when you listen.”) You could also start a family ritual of saying what you are grateful for each day. As part of your dinner conversation, you could ask each family member to say what good things happened that day or make it part of your nightly routine when getting ready for bed. Paying attention to the good things each day helps to reinforce them in your memory and puts your focus on the positive. Encourage older children to keep a gratitude journal in which they record the things they are grateful for each day.

Have Children Help
Although, it may be easier to complete the tasks yourself, involve your children in household chores. Even if they are painstakingly slow or don’t complete the job to your standards, resist the urge to step in and take over. When children participate in daily chores, like unloading the dishwasher or taking out the garbage, they learn to appreciate the effort involved. When they are required to perform these tasks themselves, they also start to notice and appreciate the times it is done for them.

Encourage Generosity
Set aside time to go through closets and toy chests to pick out gently used items that can be donated to charities. Donating items that are no longer needed serves two purposes: space is cleared for other things that you need or want, and the items are given new life with others who can use and appreciate them. But don’t limit generosity to things that are no longer needed or wanted. Small sacrifices also go a long way to teaching gratitude. For example, tithing can be a good way to encourage regular giving. Teach your children to divide their earnings (from allowance or jobs) into three categories. Set aside ten percent to give to charity. Then divide the remainder in half and put one half into a savings plan and keep the other half for everyday expenses.

Find Goodwill Projects
Helping others is a great way to foster appreciation for our own situation and it feels good. As a family, you could volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen. But, these projects don’t have to be so formal. You could also look for ways to help people in your neighbourhood. For example, you could offer to feed someone’s cat while they are away, or pull weeds from their garden when they are sick, or bake cookies to welcome a new family to the neighbourhood. Another option is to organize activities, such as collecting refundable bottles, to raise money to donate to a chosen charity.

Teaching your children to be grateful is a worthwhile endeavour with a huge pay out. However, learning gratitude doesn’t happen overnight. It requires ongoing practise and gentle reinforcement. Be patient and appreciate your progress.

Bus Etiquette

— Traveling on Public Transit in Style

Many children take a bus to school and, as with any public situation, following basic rules of etiquette helps to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

Whether your child takes a school bus or uses public transportation, the start of the school year is a good time to review these etiquette rules related to taking buses:

Getting on the bus

While waiting for a bus, it is most polite to form a line. When the bus arrives at the stop, everyone can then board the bus in an orderly fashion without pushing or shoving to get on.

It is not acceptable to arrive late and join friends at the front of the line to board the bus ahead of others who were waiting. However, it is extremely considerate to allow elderly people or people with disabilities to board the bus ahead of you, even if they arrived later.

Where to sit

Children often want to sit beside their friends, but it’s not always possible. If one should see another child sitting on their own, it can be considerate to sit with them, so they are not left out.

On a public bus, it is important to note any seats that are specifically reserved for elderly passengers or those with disabilities and to vacate those seats when they are needed.

Being respectful of others

Although students may be excited to see and talk with their friends, they should keep their voices low so they don’t distract the driver or other passengers. The same is true for the volume of MP3 Players or iPods. Other people should not be able to hear music played through head phones.

When the bus is moving, passengers should be in their seats or holding on to the available bars or straps. If they are sitting in an aisle seat, feet must be out of the aisle so other passengers can easily get past them.

If the bus has many empty seats, it is acceptable to place belongings on an empty seat, but if another passenger needs the seat, belongings should be removed immediately.

Needless to say, writing on the bus seats or walls, using coarse language, or throwing things on the bus are extremely poor etiquette.

Riding the bus is a privilege that should not be taken for granted. Remind your child that as they travel to and from school they are representing their school, their family, and youth in general.

Whenever students are in public, they need to be aware of and considerate to other people.

Looking for a unique gift idea?

This question was posed to me some time ago and, again, by someone quite recently,

“Next week I will be meeting my, soon to be, Step-Mother for the very first time.  I would like to buy her a gift but have no idea what to buy. Do you have any suggestions?”

A beautiful bouquet of flowers is always a welcome gift, by all, except for those who have allergies. An alternative, and more personal option, is a Silver or Crystal Picture Frame. Rather a nice selection can be found in a good Jeweller’s Shop.  They will also professionally gift wrap it for you, which is a nice added touch.

A suggestion for the gift card, “To dear (NAME)  “Welcome to our Family” With warmest best wishes, (SIGN YOUR NAME).

Most important, take your Camera with you for this important occasion. If you don’t have one, buy a cheap disposable Camera. Whether you are meeting at a Restaurant or a Coffee Shop there is always someone close by who will be willing to take a family photograph. Explain to your, soon to be, Step-Mother (after she has opened the gift) that the photograph will follow; completing, in my opinion, the perfect gift. Along with something one cannot buy, the warm & welcoming smile and nice compliments.

The family circle will be joined well before the next big occasion – The Wedding Day!

Camp Etiquette

Preparing Your Child for a Positive Summer Camp Experience

Sleepover summer camps provide a wonderful opportunity for children to learn new skills, develop friendships, and gain a sense of independence and autonomy. It also gives them a chance to practise their etiquette skills. Before sending your child to summer camp, review these skills to help him feel more confident at camp.

Meeting New People

Summer camps generally assign children of similar ages to cabins. This arrangement allows children to form close bonds with their cabin mates and to develop new friendships. But, for children who are shy or reserved, meeting and sharing close quarters with people they don’t know can be unnerving.

You can prepare your shy child by reviewing tips for introducing themselves, making conversation, and joining in activities. Outgoing children, on the other hand, may not understand how this situation could cause anxiety. If your child is very outgoing, discuss how introverted people might feel and offer tips for including a shy child in conversation and encouraging them to join in activities. Also, let them know that introverted people need time alone and not to take it personally if a shy child chooses to read a book rather than join in a game or conversation.

Being Considerate of Others

When sharing a living space, it is critical that everyone think about how their habits and behaviour affect their roommates. Remind your child to be tolerant of differences and to accommodate other people’s needs. If your child is an early riser, she may need to occupy herself quietly until the others wake up. And if your child usually stays up later than the cabin lights-out time, he will need to abide by the rules and turn off lights and be quiet after that time. If your child is disorganized at home and leaves her belongings wherever she happens to be at the time, discuss the importance of respecting shared space. For a child who is very particular, you might remind him not to hold others to his standards and to tolerate more disarray than he is used to.

Respecting Other’s Property

Children often live in the moment and don’t appreciate the costs of items or the importance of caring for them. Remind your child that the use of the camp property is a privilege not to be taken lightly. The cabins, furniture, sporting equipment, craft supplies, kitchen dishes, and so on are the property of the camp and must be used by future campers. However, if something should break or become damaged, regardless of how it happened, inform your child that they need to report it to their cabin leader or counsellor immediately.

It is extremely poor etiquette to hide the damage or deny being involved if you were. At camp, children must also respect the property of other campers. If they use or borrow something that belongs to someone else, they must treat it with the utmost respect and return it in the same condition they got it. If they break something belonging to another camper, etiquette also requires them to take responsibility by repairing or replacing the item.

Dining Etiquette

Basic dining etiquette applies to eating at camp. If your child is particular about their food, point out that people are working hard to prepare good food for him and all the other campers and encourage him to try new things. Generally, summer camps offer a variety of meals and some will be unfamiliar to your child. Encourage her to try new dishes before deciding she doesn’t like them and, if she takes something to try and doesn’t like it, she can discreetly deposit it in the garbage at the end of the meal without making negative comments about it. Also remind your child that he needs to abide by and support the clean-up rules set by the camp.

Reviewing these etiquette rules with your child can help to improve their camp experience. With a solid understanding of expected behaviour, children can feel confident and relaxed going into any situation and that includes summer camp.

Is your Child a Victim of Cyber-Bullying?

Cyber-bullying is very scary and on the rise. Not sure what Cyber-bullying is? It is when pre-teens or teens bully using technology. Cyber-bullying is minor against minor. If adults are bullying it isn’t Cyber-bullying, it is Cyber-harassment or Cyber-stalking.

The techniques that children use to Cyber-bully are limited only by their imagination and access to technology; hateful websites that taunt and tease, hundreds of text messages that create huge bills, chatting on social sites using the victim’s name and sending out mass emails with hateful comments are some of the many ways to torment via technology.

Keep your child informed by encouraging them to practise the following

10 Tips to Safe Cyber-Etiquette:

1. Never attack others online. Don’t say anything online that hurts someone’s feelings, attacks one’s character, or invades one’s privacy online or offline.
2. Don’t pose as someone else and post under someone else’s name.
3. Don’t write, post or send anything when you are angry. Cool down and then re-read the message.
4. Don’t reply to anything created to offend, bully or insult you. This may be hard but, usually, the offender quickly becomes bored and stops if he/she does not get a reaction.
5. If your child receives hateful or threatening emails or texts make them aware that they are to tell you or their teachers immediately.
6. Don’t open strange emails that may be offensive. Delete without responding.
7. Install spam filters. Monitor your Child’s access to technology. What Web Sites or Social Sites/ Chat Rooms do they visit online? Are they receiving Texts from unknown numbers?
8. Staying silent, when others are being bullied, is not okay. Don’t allow bullies to use your child to harass or torment others. Your child will be safer online and offline if the support for bullies is stopped.
9. Everyone has a right to use email, their cell phone or a social networking site without being harassed, insulted, hurt or embarrassed.
10. Don’t try to stop Cyber-bullying with more Cyber-bullying. Delete without responding – Ignore to beat Cyber-bullies!

Treat Dad Like a King on Father’s Day

A day without chores and some special surprises will most certainly make Dad’s  Father’s Day a day to remember.

Not sure what to do or what to buy him? Here are some helpful tips that will definitely put a smile on his face:

1. For those on a tight budget, make a Gift Certificate on the computer or draw and colour one on paper. Make it to the value of: “A Clean Car – Washed and Vacuumed”  By (Your Name).
2. Mow the Lawn and weed the garden – a real Royal treat
3. Spend some time together – take Dad out for Breakfast
4. A Book or Magazines that relate to his hobbies eg: Woodworking, Hockey, Boating, Cars etc.
5. A gift certificate to his favourite store
6. A light summer Shirt and Tie
7. A Movie and Popcorn night
8. A Gas Card

Remember it is the thought that counts not the amount of money you spend.

Tell him what a “Great” Dad he is and enjoy the day!

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