I’ve been trying to teach my kids about good behavior, but lectures don’t seem to work. I’m wondering if anyone has had success using real-life situations as teaching moments. Like, how do you point out good (or bad) behavior when you see it in public or on TV without being preachy? Any tips on making these lessons stick?
I’ve been wondering about this too. My 5-year-old is just starting to understand good behavior, but it’s tricky to explain sometimes.
We started a little game in the grocery store. We look for people being helpful or polite and give them imaginary gold stars. It’s fun, and my kid is starting to notice more positive actions.
I’m curious though - has anyone tried using stories or books to teach good behavior? My child loves bedtime stories, and I wonder if that could be a good way to introduce these ideas. Any book recommendations that worked well for your kids?
We’ve had some success with making a game out of spotting good behavior. It started as a way to pass time during errands, but now my kid loves it. We’ll quietly observe people around us and give ‘kindness points’ for helpful actions.
It’s been neat to see how this has made my child more aware of their own actions too. They’ve started looking for ways to earn ‘points’ at home and school. No lectures needed - just fun observations that seem to be sinking in naturally.
In our family, we’ve found that real-life examples work really well for teaching good behavior. When we’re out and about, I quietly point out positive actions to my kids. Like if someone holds the door open, I might say, ‘That was so kind of them!’
We also talk about characters in movies or books. After watching, I ask what they thought about how different characters acted. It gets them thinking and sharing their own ideas.
For my younger one, we play a fun ‘kindness spy’ game. We look for people doing nice things and keep a tally. It’s turned into a fun way to notice the good around us.
These little chats and games seem to stick better than big lectures. The kids pick up on good behaviors naturally, and it’s become a positive part of our daily life.
I remember how tricky this was when my kids were younger. What worked well for us was making a habit of talking about behavior we saw in everyday life. We’d discuss things casually, like commenting on someone’s patience in a long checkout line or how a character in a movie handled a tough situation.
Books were great for this too. We’d read stories that showed characters making choices, then chat about what we thought. It opened up some interesting conversations without feeling like a lecture.
As the kids got older, we started talking more about news stories or real-life situations they encountered. It helped them think critically about behavior and consequences. Sometimes they’d bring up situations from school, which led to good discussions about how to handle things.
It took time, but these everyday chats really helped shape their understanding of good behavior. 
I point out good behavior when we’re out. My kids notice things like someone letting others go first in line or picking up litter.
TV shows are great for this too. We chat about characters’ choices after watching. Keeps it natural, not preachy.