Manners in children! When & How?

A month back, I was inquiring about summer camp for my toddler and asked the representative of one of the camps, that do they teach anything related to manners/etiquette's. She said, ‘’not for this age group”. Well, my daughter is 2.6 and I was totally surprised as to what a foolish question I asked. She is too small for even to know what is mannerism all about. Though I try to guide her with little basic etiquette but sometimes I feel all this is taking her childhood away.

If children don’t mess up their food, scatter things, spill water, jump around, shout or talk loudly, who will do, we? Infact, I have seen many adults behaving like kids. Then why groom them from a toddler age. But it is well said, all that starts well ends well.

What if we were not controlled & disciplined by our parents? What if we were not thought to eat, sit, walk & talk with etiquette? We would have never known how to respect ourselves & others.

Mannerism is defined, ‘as a habitual gesture or way of speaking or behaving’. It is considered one of the most important qualities in human. 

Good manners makes a person sophisticated & is also popular among his counterparts. I have heard people praise not only their children but also their parents who show signs of good behavior.

So how do we inculcate good manners in children? There is no hand & stick rule here. One has to be sharp, observant & patient as a parent.

-Firstly, analyze why your child is behaving in a particular way. Is he/she showing any readiness to learn new things?

-Do not nag or push them, in just learning things. Rather than make it a learning experience.

-Children learn from home. Mannerisms seed starts sowing from home. We can be their mirror. Social etiquette's are learnt from family members and carried throughout life.

-Some basic steps like knocking door before entering, asking before borrowing, sharing, respecting elders, not invading in private matters, eating correctly, cleaning their own rooms or putting back toys & other stuff, greeting - hello, goodbye, sorry, thank you, showing appreciation, talking softly, not bullying anyone, etc., would just be a stepping stone to a well groomed conduct.

-Do not compare with other children. Every child is different. Some understand easily, some take a little more time.

-Do not be very strict and set many rules. Children don’t like too many boundaries. Once they turn 3, they become more independent and audacious.

-Sometimes children tend to do certain things, just to grab attention. Give them as much as devotion you can.

-If they are having frequent mood swings, try distracting them. Rather than giving heat to their behavior, try to ignore and ask for a time-out.

-Respect their individuality, likes & choices.

-Train them regularly. Children have a high grasping power.

-Nurture their strength rather than just highlighting their weakness.

Most important, shower them with lots of love & support.

SINDHI DAL PAKWAN RECIPE

Dal Pakwan is a traditional Sindhi dish and can be eaten as a snack or a wholesome meal.

PREPARATION TIME: Around 30mins    COOKING TIME: 30 mins  TOTAL: 60MINS   SERVES: 4

INGRIDIENTS FOR DAL: 

1 small bowl yellow chana dal (Bengal gram)

2 spoons Moong dal

Salt, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli, Dhaniya powder as per taste

INGRIDIENTS FOR TADKA:  3-4 curry leaves, pinch of hing powder, 1 green chilli, half teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) and mustard seeds

Oil as per taste (preferably around 4 tablespoons)

FOR GARNISHING: Pinch of black pepper powder, jeera powder, freshly chopped coriander leaves, 1 finely chopped onion

PREPARATION OF DAL:

Wash and soak chana dal and moong dal 20mins prior to cooking. Heat oil and put the ingredients of tadka. Pour the soaked dal, put salt, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli, Dhaniya powder as per taste. See to it there is enough water in the cooker. It should be less than half size of cooker. Place it on slow fame initially for 10 min to avoid excess water, if any, tocome out while giving pressure. Place the lid of pressure cooker and cook for 10mins. Give atleast 6-7 pressures. You can either give tadka initially or after dal is cooked. Once dal is cooked, slightly turn the dal. Do not mix it. Dal should not be very thick. Garnish it with pinch of black pepper powder, jeera powder, freshly chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped onion (add little bit of red chilli powder to onion for taste) Keep the dal simple, with less of masalas, as that is the required taste of dal.

INGRIDIENTS FOR PAKWAN:

1 big cup Maida

2-3 spoons Atta (whole wheat flour)

1 tablespoon Rava/Suji

Pinch of jeera

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil

Oil for frying (as per pan requirement, preferably fill less than half of pan size)

Preparation of PAKWAN: In the meantime when dal is getting ready, start preparing pakwan. Keep oil in pan for heating.  Mix atta, maida, suji, jeera, salt, with water and prepare a dough. Add oil to it for softness. Do not make it loose. It should be a little tight.

Divide into 14-16 proportions and roll each into a size of chapatti around 3-4 inch, depending on pan size. Prick all over the chapatti with knife or fork.

Once the oil in pan is ready for frying; deep fry pakwan till crispy golden brown. Soak excess oil in tissue paper. Keep pakwans in airtight container. Usually they last for 3-4 days. Preferable if kept in a steel container. Avoid keeping in summers.

INGRIDIENTS FOR KHATTI-MITHI CHUTNI:

Handful of coriander leaves, pudhina leaves(mint leaves), half tablespoon jeera, 1 finely chopped green chilli, half chopped onion, 3-4 pieces of soaked tamarind(soak it 10 min before preparation. One can also add 1 khajoor. Do not forget to remove seeds of tamarind & khajoor), salt as per taste.

PREPARATION: Grind all ingredients and make the chutni less thick. One can add sugar or jiggery for a little sweet taste.

Your dish is ready to serve.