1. Model good manners.

Let them hear you using polite phrases such as "please", "thank you", "you're welcome" and "excuse me". They will naturally copy what they hear and want to be like you!

2. Treat your child with respect.

Acknowledge their presence and the questions they ask you. Make eye contact when you are talking with them.

3. Open doors.

Encourage them to open doors for others as soon as they are strong enough. My kids always thrive the more responsibility I can give them. As soon as they are strong enough to hold a door open, ask the to do it for you and for their siblings. This might mean that if you are in a hurry, you'll need to slow down so they can hold it for other people coming in and out of the library too!

4. Start young.

Even before a child can talk, they observe and copy body language and movements. Consider teaching toddlers to sign "please" and "thank you", before they can talk.

5. Give them literary role models.

Read stores of heroes, biographies and books that talk about manners. Watch videos that teach kids manners too. We recently watched an old episode of Berenstain Bears on manners, and for the next few days my kids were reminding everyone around them to "use the three special words".

6. Polite "interruption."

Train your children to touch your arm if they want to talk to you while you are still talking to someone else. This teaches them to wait and not interrupt.

7. Expect manners.

I'll never forget when my son's Kindergarten teacher told us parents a story about how her husband helped their children to learn manners by making the most of just one opportunity when they were little. They had each received a piece of candy at the barber shop for waiting patiently. None of them said thank you, so he had them all give the candy back and then they left the shop. The kids never forgot again to say thank you!