Re: Teaching manners & ethics to children
First of all,** ACTIONS** speak louder than words. Often times children are shocked when they find their parents actions contradicting their lectures. It creates confusion and resentment. So, if parents are going to teach their kids about manners and ethics, they also need to follow their own words. For example, it's FUTILE to lecture your child on saying "please" and "thank you" when you never do it yourself. Anybody can preach, but very few can practice what they preach.
Secondly, there needs to be consistency. As a parent you can't follow your values one day and not follow them the next. And you can't allow your kids to break a rule one day and expect your kids to follow the same rule the next time. You can't punish your kid for breaking a rule one day and not do anything about it in the future. Consistency in rules, VALUES, and expectations creates emphasis and solidarity.
There will ALWAYS be negative exposure. Kids will ALWAYS be exposed to negative images in the media and situations with peers in and out of school. Parents can't shield them from everything. But what they can do is to establish regular communication with their children, expose them to positive situations, and create an Islamic environment at home. And Islam is not just limited to praying five times a day and wearing a hijab. It also teaches us how to conduct ourselves in life and everyday situations. As far as communication is concerned, it's good to ask children what they already know about an issue and how they feel about it.....and then proceed to guide them.