One lesson my mother taught me about people was that everyone wants to feel special. She asked me to imagine that everyone I met was wearing a giant invisible heart that says, "Make me feel special!"
To help children learn to remember to treat others well, I cut out giant hearts from construction paper and attach one to each child's clothes with a safety pin. Then I talk about ways we can make others feel important. The giant heart is a wonderful visual to help children remember to be respectful and kind in their attitudes, words and actions.
Judi Vankevich is known to Canadian audiences as Judi the Manners Lady. This article first appeared in the Early Stages
edition of the January 2009 issue of the Focus on Your Child newsletters. Copyright © 2008 Focus on the Family. ThrivingFamily.com.