The Big Picture

The Little Gym Blog
Apart from the pride parents feel when their children make a good impression on others, the benefits to the children are immense. Kids who have been taught proper manners are better prepared to cope with stress and adversity gracefully. Manners help build social skills that are essential when meeting new people or behaving properly in new situations. Further benefits include the following:

Enhances Self-Esteem: How one feels about oneself is key to confidence and happiness. Feeling positive about your abilities and seeing yourself as deserving of respect is essential to psychological health. Dr. Carl Pickhardt, a family counsellor writing in Psychology Today, says that the better people feel about themselves, the better they treat each other, the better they get treated in return, the better off everyone tends to become.

Increases Happiness: Being kind to others makes the givers happy and increases their sense of satisfaction, according to a study presented in the Journal of Social Psychology. One of the authors of the study, Lara Akin, suggests that there is a “kind of positive feedback loop” between kindness and happiness: One kind deed makes you feel happier, and the happier you feel, the more likely you are to do another kind deed.

Inculcates Reciprocity: Researchers have learned that rude behaviour, such as behaving as if others’ feelings don’t matter, implies social rejection, and triggers the pain regions of the brain. Consequently, the offended person has a negative feeling toward the offender and may react aggressively. On the other hand, people treated with respect generally respond in kind.

Facilitates Popularity: Children who treat their classmates kindly, demonstrate empathy, and exhibit gratitude tend to be well-liked by their peers. More importantly, treating others with respect builds stronger personal relationships. Exercising manners makes children more likeable and feel more likeable. Therefore, they get more positive feedback from others that they are worthy.

Promotes Physical Health: Good manners are expressions of civility, the foundation of harmonious relationships, and a good quality of life. Social connections are good for us, both mentally and physically. According to Oxford Journals, strong positive relationships buffer stress and are associated with improved health and well-being.