How are your children’s meeting and greeting skills? Introducing yourself with confidence is a foundational social skill that children of all ages can master.Â
Many young people feel nervous when meeting new people, but there’s really no need to be!
With a little instruction and practice, you can be sure your children feel confident when meeting and greeting and always make a great first impression.
My simple Recipe for a Great Introduction and teaching tips make teaching this social skill to your children stress-free and fun!
The Recipe for a Great Introduction
Ingredient 1: Stand
Many people don’t realize that it’s good manners to stand when meeting and greeting someone. Standing shows respect and that you’re truly interested in the person you’re meeting and greeting. Be sure to stand with good posture.
Ingredient 2: Eye Contact
Looking someone in the eye when you’re meeting them is important to show that you’re paying attention and you are respectful.
Ingredient 3: Smile
Your smile breaks the ice and puts the person you’re meeting at ease.
Ingredient 4: Introduce Yourself
Now it’s time to use some words and speak. Simply say: “Hello, my name is Maggie.” or “Hi, I’m John.” or “Good morning, my name is Samantha Smith.”
Ingredient 5: Confident Voice
This is a very important ingredient! Speak loud enough to be heard and clearly, so you can be understood.
Ingredient 6: Handshake
The final ingredient! Your handshake says a lot about you. Here’s how to shake hands:
- Stand parallel to each other. Stand a comfortable distance apart.
- Extend your right hand. Have a firm, comfortable grip.
- Your elbow is like a hinge- move your arm from the hinge.  Your arm should have about a 90-degree angle.
- A handshake is just 2-3 shakes and then you drop hands.
Have fun by role playing with imaginary identities- pretend to be a movie star or a famous athlete. Enjoy learning and practicing together.
Here are a few dinner table conversational questions on the topic of introductions. When do you see people shaking hands? For what occassions? Have you ever gotten a “vice grip” handshake or a “dead fish” handshake? Do you feel nervous when meeting new people?
Wishing you happy meeting & greeting-
Dawn
PS) If this post was helpful, check out my FREE guide, The Busy Moms Guide to Raising Confident, Considerate, and Mannerly Kids. You’ll get my five best tips to help you teach your children good manners at home in a fun and stress-free way. Plus I’ll share simple lessons to use at home along with a few surpises.
