Are Manners Still Important?

Over 100 years ago, Maria Montessori began teaching manners to children as a part of her classroom curriculum. She called them lessons in Grace and Courtesy. Grace and Courtesy lessons are the glue that holds a classroom community together. From holding a door for the teacher with her hands full to asking a friend if they need help, children began practicing manners from a young age.

Is it still important to teach children manners, 100 years after these lessons were first developed? We think so.

Manners are skills that allow children to get along with one another on the playground, but that also translate to getting along with colleagues in the workplace. Manners make interacting with other humans enjoyable and rejuvenating.

How do you teach or model manners at home?