Ten Surefire Ways to Teach Good Manners

I'm 23, and I'm still, well, mannered. See what I did there? But I am, when I have to be especially. Teaching good manners is extremely important, and whether or not your standards meet those of the world, it's still important to teach your child to mind their matters. It's expected from a lot of the world to maintain good manners, so best start early. Here are some sure-fire ways to teach your child good manners that will be a pleasure for both you and your child.

1. Model good behavior. Be their shining example. Use good manners when talking with them and use good manners when talking with others. In their youngest years, their behavior usually emulates a child's behavior. So take this one seriously if you want to see your child mind his matters.
2. Teach polite words. "I'm sorry" "please" and "thank you" are winners. "May I" is trending. Explain what these words mean to them, and how important they are to use. And of course, always make sure they use them .
3. Watch children's TV shows with them. A lot of children's shows teach good manners, and they're a great way to do so because children enjoy them. Try and find one that they truly enjoy and laugh at, or just express emotion over. More emotion probably means they're placing a significance on the show and it's messages or motifs. Address when they should model good behavior they see on the show. 
4. Role play good manners. I already said model it, but role play it too. What goes on at home is much different than what goes on outside, so make sure your child is prepared to be well mannered in the world by role playing scenarios like them. Don't over-complicate brainstorming for scenarios. Base your scenarios on times in which you believe your child should use the "polite words" I listed above.
5. Read books about good manners. I wish I had a list for you, but I don't remember much of the first books I ever read. The reasons this is successful mimic those of #3.
6. Praise good manner. And I mean always. Or at least when it's most plausible: at home. You don't have to praise it right away, so long as you tell them that their good manners at such-and-such event earned them a day of lazer-tag. Positive reinforcement will increase the chances of good manners sticking.
7. Give replacement behaviors. When you see your child display bad behaviors, explain to them why the behavior was bad. But, additionally give them a replacement behavior, something they should have done instead of what they did do, or what they did say. 
8. Play in good manner games. What are those I know. A good example is picking a "well-mannered word" of the day. Have them count how many times they heard said word and inform you at the end of the day. The game should take you approximately 2 minutes  (to hear out a scenario or two), and them all day. 
9. Make rules and set expectations. The younger the better. When children grow older it's difficult for them to understand reasoning behind new rules and often rebel against house rules, so make them early and stick to them!
10. Enroll your children in etiquette class. Check to see if your school has it, and if they do, why not. Enroll them. It's a life skill outside their career that's most important. Putting them in a learning setting can help them when it comes to applying it in real life. 

Teaching good manners can be a long road for some, but it's for the best. Trust me, they'll thank you later.