This week for Manners Monday we’re looking at starting the day off on the good foot. There’s a lot to be said about getting out of bed and facing the day with a smile. Teaching our kids to greet the people that they meet each day with a “good morning” will teach them about giving positivity and getting it in return. Generally, if you say “good morning” you’re going to get it right back at you and that just feels, well, good. I was recently at a family reunion where a bunch of us stayed at one house together and I loved saying, “good morning” and getting eight “good morning”s in return. It sort of made me feel like, “yeah, this is a good morning!” and started each day with positive momentum.

This week’s rule

Start the Day with, “Good morning”

Put it into practice

Toddlers 1 – 3 years old: This is something that I’ve been saying to my little one since day one. Every morning when I go in to get him out of bed I smile and say, “Good morning!” He’s not really a morning person so he just sort of looks at me like, “why do you have all of that energy right now?” But after I say it, I always ask him to say it back to me. And  you know what? He does! Even if it’s just a whisper. Then, when we go out to the kitchen for breakfast and see Daddy we say, “Good morning, Daddy!” And, thankfully, Daddy responds right back. When you stay over at another family or friend’s house, encourage your little one to say, “good morning, _____” each day. This also helps them remember names! To be silly you can start saying good morning to everything from their favorite toys to inanimate objects.

Kids 3 – 9 years old: The older kids can practice in more detail and on more occasions than the little ones. They can say, “good morning, ______” to their teachers at school, their bus driver, their friends, and everything else listed above. It should always start at home as soon as they get up. Anyone that they meet before noon, should get a pleasant greeting. I mean with a smile and eye contact. It’s not just the words that are important. It’s sharing a positive moment at the beginning of the day with someone else. That gets the ball rolling in a good direction for everyone.

And, to keep it light, here’s a little inspiration from the Godfather of Soul…James Brown “Get on the Good Foot”