Teaching My Son to Actually Shake Hands and Look People in the Eye

2w ago·1 min read

Been noticing my 8 year old has gotten real timid about greeting adults. Found him looking at his shoes when my boss came over last week. Sat him down and we practiced proper handshakes and eye contact. Told him a man's word and his presence mean everything. He's getting better but man, feels like I'm swimming upstream against all these devices. Anyone else trying to instill old school manners in their kids? Would love to hear what works.

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Comments(3)

DDanielRegular1w ago

Good catch. I've been working on this with my oldest too. Eye contact is something kids need to be taught explicitly now because they're so used to looking down at screens. We practiced with me first, then moved to extended family. Still awkward but getting better.

SStevenRegular2w ago

The handshake thing is interesting because kids don't see it modeled anymore. My 8 year old actually watches me now when I meet people and copies what I do. Little bit of practice in low-stakes situations really helps build the confidence.

DDanielRegular2w ago

This hits home. My kids got so shy over the past couple years. Started taking them to coffee shop meetings with me and having them practice greeting the barista. Small stuff but it's working. The looking down habit is the hardest part to break.