I’m going to preface this post with the fact that I’ve lived seven decades and I’ve not only seen a moral degeneration over the years, but I’ve seen some of the most basic manners  disappear from society.  Most children are taught to say, “please and thank you,” they know to cover their mouths when they cough, but with the dawn of the electronic age, some of the simplest courtesies have been lost to texting, tweeting or social media.  I’ve listed ten easy ways for you and your children to be more interactive.

• Children need boundaries.  You’re not their friend.  You’re their parent – their role model – their hero.  Take your job seriously.
• Limit the time spent on electronics.  Show them there are other ways to communicate.  Meals and time spent traveling from one event to another are perfect opportunities to talk.
• Teach them to respect others. They should look up to those in authority – this reaches far beyond the home.  I’m talking about teachers, grandparents, the police, pastors, politicians and other kids.  Everyone matters in this world.
• Be kind by being unselfish, caring, thoughtful and sincere.  Some of your child’s lifetime friendships will be formed with this attitude.
• Solve problems in an logical way, without resorting to anger or violence.
• Don’t go to bed angry.
• Pray with them.
• Be a good example.
• Teach them the simple things – courtesy – waiting for others to be seated before eating – not speaking badly of others –  look someone in the eye when talking to them –  shake hands firmly – say excuse me – all those simple things that have been missing from society for a long time.
• Love one another as God first loved us.

This is just the beginning.   The Golden Rule states, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  Here’s ten more that state God’s expectations for us.

Even though we’ve become a very casual society, our kids need to be taught how to relate to others in all settings.  The Ten Commandments were carved in stone so they should be engrained in our hearts as well.