Prepare Your Child for a Successful School Year with Back to School Etiquette & Manners for Kids

Back to school is such an exciting time! Preparing your child is the single most important thing you do as parents. Teachers will receive trained or untrained students. Children do not evolve…if they are not trained, they are at risk of devolving with the values of our society. Social skills must be a priority to parents! Children who have had Godly and instructive engagement function better and are equipped, not only to be good students, but also to help others who may be struggling socially. In this blog post, I’ll share some tips to help you prepare your child for a successful and and productive school year. Remember, good manners for kids starts at home!

A Back to School Guide for Parents

Prepare Your Child for a Successful School Year with Back to School Etiquette and Manners for KidsAs parents, the work you do to prepare and practice with your children are the keys they need to succeed socially, academically and physically. As a teacher, wife, mom, stepmom, grandmother and daughter, I have seen this in action.

Show me a child who reacts kindly when no one is looking and when it is uncomfortable and you are sure to find a parent who actively engaged with their children.

I write this blog today to parents in order to encourage them to understand that the first 18 years of their child’s life is a gift from God. Although grandparents, friends, pastors, counselors and coaches are important, they do not carry the power that parents hold in their being. Moms and Dads, you are the “alpha and omega” for the first 18 years of your child’s life and, if you make the choice to allow others to do your job, your children will adopt the attitudes, ethics and values system of those around them. You are anointed and appointed when your children enter the world. They are your sole responsibility.

Parents, please make it a priority to spend as much time as possible with your child before school starts. Teach your child that the school, teachers and all civic authorities are to be respected and obeyed. Yes, I’m using the “bad word” in our society…obey. We do not like to hear the word “obey”, but blessings go to those who have been taught to obey their teachers and coaches. It goes without saying that these children are teachable and coachable. Of course, none of us are perfect, but parents who make a clear acknowledgment of their responsibility to parent help to produce good students and good citizens.

Below are some specific tips for instilling good manners for kids:

  • Go to church, temple, synagogue…whatever faith you observe, practice it with your children.
  • Get involved in your community with your child. Make your children socially aware of those in your community who are in need.
  • Give chores to your child to take care of. I recommend age-appropriate chores at 2 years of age.
  • Model Godly, loving behavior between family members.
  • Keep a tight schedule and do not waste time. Make every minute count!
  • Teach your children to help grandparents. Children should not have a selfish attitude that acts like “what events are planned” or “what do you have for me”. Teach them to approach all relatives with an attitude of “what can I do for you” or “what is needed”. As I have traveled the world, I see in Asia, the Middle East and Europe that grandparents, aunts and uncles etc are valued and highly respected.
  • Do not give your children too much screen time. When they have free time, plan projects such as gardening, baking cookies for shut-ins or writing cards to those who are sick.
  • Try to plan family vacations that include mission opportunities or visits to see people in need. Our family took one missions trip a year while my children were in high school.
  • Create a notebook of activities that you can pull from when needed.
  • Study and teach family history to your children. Many children grow up not knowing about their ancestors.
  • Make sure your pre-Kindergarten to High School student knows his or her home address and your phone numbers.
  • Make sure your student knows your profession and understands your job well enough to carry on an adult conversation.
  • Teach your children to run from gossip and negativity about friends, teachers and family.
  • Limit the time your child spends away from home, whether it is friends, grandparents or camps. Again, your time is 18 years of influence and then you will release your children to society where they will need to make their own decisions.

How to Start Good Manners at Home

Your child can enter school with assurance, self-confidence, a desire to learn and respect for all! Start working with your children at home by practicing with the list below.

How to Start Good Manners at Home

  • Eye Contact, Smile, Handshake – Teach your child to introduce themselves and to say “hello” to people! Teach them the importance of eye contact, a friendly smile and the handshake. Practice this together.
  • Discuss what it means to be polite. Summer travels and adventures together are a great time to practice back to school manners.
  • Introductions – Practice “please” and “thank you” with family and in public. These are essentials to ensuring that your children head into the school year with manners.
  • One way to teach consideration and polite behavior is to teach your child to meet the needs of others, such as grandparents. Teach them to greet their grandparents and make them aware that their grandparents may need help. Teach them situational awareness. Help them understand kindness comes from the heart and a desire to make life better for friends, family and others. If your child can learn to help you / grandparents and be a helper at home, they are more likely to practice acts of kindness in the classroom.
  • Teach children that focus shows respect. When they complain about a teacher, take the time to listen with filtered ears. Make it clear that you are an adult and you respect all authority. If there is ever a conflict, never display anger towards a teacher in front of your child.
  • Take the time to engage with your child and discuss how fortunate we are as Americans to have the privilege of education. Education is a gift and our teachers, principals, coaches and all school personnel should be held in the highest regard of respect. Talk to your child and let them see how much value you place on their teachers and the learning experience.
  • Create a schedule that you will implement in the fall. Discuss with your children why you are talking about school in the middle of summer.
  • Many parents come to me asking me to teach their children to properly engage in conversation. Use every meal as a learning experience. Engage your children in the planning of daily meals. Arrange for special outings so that you can spend concentrated time with them.
  • Above all, teach your children their names, home address and phone number. Teach them their principal’s name and try practicing interactions with their new teachers.

You will find many rules about manners for kids online that can help you. However, parental engagement is the key!

Help Your Child Succeed Emotionally, Spiritually, Physically & Academically

Emotional Success

Prepare, plan and stay engaged. Prepare your child to handle mistakes by being involved in society and teaching them about consequences. Explain to them that when obedience occurs, great things happen. Our emotions can change in a second when we fall to our knees before Almighty God for help.

Emotional Lesson Plan:

  • Get up every day and name 10 things you are thankful for.
  • Think of 10 things that need to be done.
  • Think of 3 people every day who are in need.

Physical Success

As a mom, I was determined to raise 6 children drug-free. While I did experience children who did not want to sit or focus, I found that hard labor such as mowing grass, running a mile in the morning before school, cleaning the bedroom, and pre-planning each and every day brought focus to all. Hunger and desire are the key. Our bodies need movement! Social media has robbed our society…electric bicycles and computers have made physical activity a chore for all. Schools have replaced running with sedentary activities. Meanwhile, a cardio workout consisting of jump rope, kickball and chase will be the most effective to help your children physically.

Physical Lesson Plan:

  • Run 1 mile before school.
  • Do 50 or 100 jumping jacks when you get up.
  • Get plenty of sleep.
  • Have a scheduled bedtime.

Academic Success

Engage in your child’s lessons and closely monitor them! If you do not, others (including general society) will. Something or someone will control, influence and determine your child’s destiny. Know the friends of your children and engage with their teachers. Let their teachers know you back them up and you are a support to all of their efforts.

Academic Lesson Plan:

  • Check your child’s backpack daily.
  • Call or email your child’s teacher weekly to make sure that everything is okay and to ask if there is anything your child might need to work on.
  • Schedule a time to visit school. Let your presence be known at school as a support to your child’s teacher. Let the teachers know you appreciate them and make them feel comfortable about calling you. Assure them that you will address problems and not make them the problem.
  • Start looking at college for your children while they are in the 5th grade. Yes, 5th grade! Identify and have your child name five colleges that he or she is interested in. Visit them and include college visits on all your vacations.
  • Talk to your children about what it takes for acceptance into the institution of their choice.
  • Read, read and read.
  • Travel, even if it is within your state. Plan family outings with fun history lessons.
  • Teach your children about other cultures. Invite friends over from other cultures. Teach respect.
  • Read the front page of the Wall Street Journal to your children daily. Read the column that summarizes the news.
  • Give your children jobs that encourage hard work. Teach them how to accomplish jobs like mowing grass, sweeping, picking up toys, cooking and cleaning up.

Spiritual Success

God places bundles of joy into our arms to love, teach and raise to be His servants and to make a difference in this world. We are called to do all we can do to the best of our abilities and to serve and appreciate all of His blessings to us…such as family, education, community and culture.

Let me summarize by saying, the most important Back to School rule is to teach our children how to encourage one another, as we have been instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:11. In Galatians 6:2, we are taught in the Christian faith to “bear one another’s burdens.” This means that, if someone is in need, we are supposed to reach out and help. By teaching your child and allowing them to see you bear the burdens of others, you can help to reduce their and your own anxiety and teach them the satisfying, real internal joy. Learn to love, honor and respect your child’s teachers. This act will be the best lesson you ever teach them.

School Manners for Kids Begins in the Summer

Lisa B. Burdette, Dallas Etiquette ExpertAs we move toward the first day of school, we must mentally, physically, and spiritually prepare children for a strong school year. Manners and etiquette are essential, but they are most lasting and effective when also taught by parents.

Of course, I recommend a 1 or 2 hour class in manners for kids. This can be just a reboot or refresher for your children so they can enhance their skills in knowing how to present themselves with good social graces.

If you’d like your children to enhance their etiquette skills, book one of Lisa Burdette’s private and group lessons in the Dallas area. Lisa’s etiquette sessions can help students learn the social skills they need to succeed at home, in school interactions and throughout life.

Our Dallas etiquette expert can help you! Reach out via our Contact page to request your manners for kids session with Lisa today! The Dallas School of Etiquette also offers business etiquette and fine dining sessions for teens and adults.

God bless and may 2024-2025 be the best school year ever!

Contact Us

lisa burdette

Book Your Private Class Today

Personalized Etiquette Classes

Scroll to Top