The Elise McVeigh’s Life Camp and Mrs. McVeigh’s Manners themes of the week are Meeting and Greeting, and Carpool Manners.
A lot of children and adults are challenged in this day and age with not only small talk, but with acknowledging people they know when in public. Here are some things to ask your children – and yourself – when meeting and greeting people. When asking yourself these questions, instead of thinking about how your children should thank a coach or instructor after a practice or activity, think how you should thank an adult after running a meeting. I also always thank my peers for volunteering their time.
Ask your child about Meeting and Greeting people!
Ask your child to show you how to meet or greet adults, and look for the three things that we discussed.
1. Make good eye contact.
2. Have a firm handshake.
3. Use a clear and loud enough voice.
• Remind your child to use these skills before you walk into any social situation, where they will have the opportunity to shake hands with people.
• Role-play meeting or greeting people with your child, before they walk into a possible situation where they need to do this.
• Remind your child to always acknowledge adults who they know. They should walk up to the adult, offer to shake hands, and say hello.
• Look for opportunities to reinforce this behavior, such as telling your child to thank a coach after a practice or game, and shake his/her hand.
When reflecting on your own “Carpool” manners, it makes me think about how as adults, we need to be prompt when we are catching a ride with someone, taking a scheduled shuttle to the airport, or after calling an Uber. We all need to be mindful when riding in someone else’s car. I was in an Uber with a friend one time after we grabbed a boxed lunch, and she started eating her lunch in the front seat.
Ask your child about what it means to have good manners in the car, and the following questions!
• If someone is going to pick us up, how can we show that we are ready?
o Wait outside for them, or at least sit by the window and be ready to go out the door quickly.
• What do we do as soon as we get into a car?
o We shut the door, sit down, and buckle our seat belt.
• Is it okay to put our feet up on the back of the seats? Why?
o You will get the seats dirty, and it could be distracting to the driver.
• What are some things that could distract the driver?
o Being noisy, throwing things, asking to change the radio station too many times…
