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At
The PoliteChild®
we believe that
children benefit strongly from knowing and following the rules
of proper behavior. Our society today reflects decades of eroding
human values. But, rather than simply sit around and commiserate
with others about this decline in values and behaviors, The
PoliteChild has taken action by developing a program
that seeks to make a difference in the lives of the children and
families it touches. The
PoliteChild program is based on the following four
guiding principles:
Good Manners begins with consideration of others. It is this
thinking "beyond oneself" that is the foundation for
how we speak and act when interacting with others.
Developing and exhibiting kindness and consideration in all
dealings with others will ultimately make for a happier, safer,
and more successful life for the child. This foundation of mannerly
behavior becomes even more important as the child grows into
adulthood, as he or she enters the working world, contributes
to society in various ways, and one day possibly parents a new
generation of children.
Kindness, consideration, and the ensuing civility in behavior
must not only be taught, but also must be practiced and reinforced
by example in the family, in schools, and in the child's everyday
world.
Rather than dismiss manners and etiquette - which is defined
by the Oxford English Dictionary as "the conventional rules
of social behavior or professional conduct" - as old-fashioned,
fussy, and irrelevant, The PoliteChild
recognizes that we need to return to a more civilized period
of behavior, where people
are responsible and accountable for their words and actions.
Although
the world can be a rough place in which to live, and we cannot
always change what others say and do, we can change how we act
and speak, and hope that by "keeping our own houses clean"
we can serve as positive examples in our homes, our communities,
and in the world at large. |
