Home training in the family cannot be over emphasized when bringing up a child. Every adult is the end product of the success or failure of their parent as regards to home training.
What really is home training and how important is it? Home training can mean many things to many people, but in the context of parenting as concerned here, it can be simply defined as manners and social etiquette taught at home. These are patterns of manners and behavior, that if imbibed by a child would affect his or her life, irrespective of where the child (and adult) finds himself or herself.
It’s quite unfortunate that most of us expect that our children will get the training they require from school. While teachers have a role, not every teacher is detailed enough to notice that a child is picking his nose, biting his nails, not covering his mouth when coughing e.t.c
Let’s look at Home training and simple ways of teaching some of the things that children need to know.
Hygiene
Personal hygiene is a big element to successful home training. Some of the things that you could teach your child not to do or do when it comes to hygiene include:
• Do not rub your face when sweating, use a handkerchief to wipe your face.
• Do not pick your nose, always use a tissue and always sneeze into a tissue.
• Do not bite your fingers, they should use a nail cutter if they are old enough to do that themselves or you do it for them.
• Always wash hands after using the toilet, before and after eating.
There are more to add to the list depending on the other values you have built over the years.
Respect
You will agree with me, this is a very serious issue in the 21st Century, many parents might talk about it but then do not require it from their children. It is in your childs’ best interest to get the principle of respect from a tender age. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we should make them scared of us, but teach them about respect.
An effective way to teach respect comes from the little things you do, how you treat people. I mean we (parents), should take the lead, you would be surprised to see how your child would follow suit. It’s easier to teach children by example, they will more easily do what they see than do what they are told. How can a child relate with a mum who consistently says, you should treat people with respect even  when they offend you and yet that mum keeps yelling at everyone around the house, or in the office.
Integrity
Teaching integrity includes teaching children to always do the right things, say the right things and stand by what they say. My little niece was ill some time ago, and she said to me, I believe God will heal me because when daddy promises to give me something, he gives me. I was ‘whaooed’ by the statement from an eight year old, seeing how far our integrity can affect and teach our children.
Social Etiquette
There is soo much on etiquette you can teach a child, it has a lot to do with your values, etiquette such as table manners, talking manners, how to seat, standing without leaning on anything, not interrupting elders when they are talking e.t.c
There is a lot of home training you can give your child, digest this and watch out for the subsequent discussions.
Contributed by Olamide Tawose
