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20/02/2015

Should Etiquette Be Taught in Schools?

Interestingly, this is always a good conversation starter among teachers and parents with both sides disagreeing to agree and finally coming to a conclusion that connects us all. 

An opinion goes, "Yes, etiquette should be taught in school. Parents obviously see no importance anymore in teaching their children how to be polite in social and domestic ways. So, its up to the schools to teach them." 

One opinion goes, "School is where you learn to do Math, English, Science etc. You should learn at school and be taught etiquette at home."

Another opinion goes, "Etiquette should be taught in schools. The nuclear family continues to deteriorate and children are raised not knowing the proper etiquette for many of the social situations they may be faced with throughout their lives.

While I believe it's ultimately the parents responsibility to ensure that their kids learn proper etiquette, in reality, children just aren't learning these skills at home. Schools can play a major role in building these very special skills.



Etiquette is a code of polite conduct. If you practice proper etiquette, you are less likely to offend or annoy people - and you may even charm them. Etiquette is basically behaviour that is polite and gracious in social situations.

Since the goal of education is to prepare an individual to be well adjusted for future life, it may be important to introduce weekly etiquette classes to growing children so they can learn to build proper behaviour.

Even though most people believe that etiquette and good manners are essential to any civilization, there is so little done to help children acquire these skills. We think that schools are an important place to teach etiquette because schools are the center space of learning for children. They are places where students share space, commonalities and differences as people, which makes for a wholesome learning experience. It also makes it easier for direct application of etiquettes learnt.
And let's face it! There are some etiquettes kids can't learn from home e.g. dance and dating etiquettes,  - things they are most likely to participate in as they get older. 

Things like boys would hold doors for girls, boys would allow girls to eat first if there was food in class, boys would offer to take a girl's bag before she sat down and boys would offer to seat the girl at her desk. Things as these can be taught and applied in the class everyday.

Of course, the girls may also choose to decline.

Things like girls must speak softly, walk in a certain manner and sit with legs closed or crossed depending on the situation etc. And these are to mention a few in the very broad topic - Etiquette.



There are many types of etiquettes. Family, social, professional, office and social media etiquettes. Let's share some.
Your child's school may not teach it as most do not in Nigeria, but you could try to help your children grow into enviable individuals. 


A great place to start with however is at home. Here are some family etiquette  you could teach at home. They include;

  • Respect each other’s personal space.
  • Respect each other’s belongings.
  • Don’t interrupt when someone else is talking.
  • Be on time for dinner.
  • Say “Please” and “Thank you.”
  • Don’t text or talk on your mobile phone during a family meal.
  • Chew with your mouth closed.
  • Don’t yell or call each other names.
  • Pick up after yourself so someone else doesn’t have to do it.
  • Listen to Mom and Dad and do what they say
In raising a generation of young Nigerians...where social media and communication technology is tending towards making students less people-oriented but more gadget-oriented, teaching etiquettes in school will allow us to do the needful. 

More examples of teachable etiquettes to come soon. 

P.S
We are moving our blog to a new site soon. We remain the same. We only want to be able to do more for/with you. Look out for the special giveaway season that comes with our movement. Thank you


14/02/2015

Happy Valentine's Day - We are moving!

Happy Valentine's Day to all our readers. We hope this day brings you just what you want it to. Thanks for being the loyal readers you are. We love you. Cheers to a Valentine's Day filled with good wine, good food and good friends like you. I hope you feel loved and appreciated today - because you are. 


A big announcement from us today. The Learning Craft blog is moving....yay! We are excited about making this move because we'd like that our blogging experience with you is more engaging. Details will be given shortly.
Get ready to participate and win in the special giveaway that comes with our movement.
We remain the same but with the intent to bring you more. 

Enjoy your Valentine's Day! Share love with your loved ones. Make it a special one that is dedicated to family. I've planned to do the same!

01/02/2015

Why We Need Employer-Sponsored Child Care Centers at Work



Employer-Sponsored child care centers are centers provided within the work environment to cater for very young children of staff members, relieving them of worries and costs of a safe place to keep their young kids as during work hours. Ultimately, these centres are developed to solve employees child care challenges.

Providing high quality, affordable, and conveniently located care enables employers to eliminate a significant source of worry, stress and distraction from their employees which helps them to benefit from engaged and committed workers who are in return, willing and able to put in their best performances.

Let's look at some interesting data gathered a few years ago by the Bright Horizons team. It highlights the broad impact child care centers have on employers and their organizations.

ON PRODUCTIVITY

● 95% of respondents say employer-sponsored child care enables them concentrate on the job
● 93% say it enables them to meet job expectations
● 87% of respondents say access to child care enhances their productivity
● 79% say it enables them to volunteer for things not formally required of their job

ON RETENTION

● 92% of respondents say that employer-sponsored childcare would be important in considering a job change.
● 90% of respondents indicate that it makes them more likely to continue to work for their organisation
● 88% of respondents indicate that it was important in their decision to return to work after child birth or adoption
● 82% of male respondents note the center's importance in their return to work


ON RECRUITMENT

● 84% of respondents who had children when they started at their organization say their employer-sponsored child care was important in their decision to join the company.
● More than half of respondents who did not have children when they started at their organization say the availability of child care was important in their decision to join the company
● 96% of respondents are likely to recommend their employers to other working parents

ON WELL-BEING & STRESS

● 95% of respondents say employer sponsored child care positively impacts their ability to balance their work and family responsibilities
● 92% of respondents agree that it positively impacts their overall well-being
● 91% agree that it helps them to manage their stress levels

ON JOB SATISFACTION & ENGAGEMENT

● 95% of respondents say employer-sponsored childcare provides them with added flexibility at work
● 85% say it is important to their job satisfaction
● 76% rank it as the best or among the best employer benefit (excluding health care )

☆☆☆☆☆ 93% of respondents agree that access to employer-sponsored childcare makes their employer an "Employer of Choice"

THE BOTTOM LINE
A good number of people were able to view the video that went viral a couple of months ago; one that captured a caregiver abusing a child to near death. Sadly, this happens to be the case in similar ways; in many homes. The memories of that video will forever stay in the thoughts of the people who saw it. Unfortunately, we cannot share this video here.

About one-third of parents with children under 6 have childcare arrangements that fall apart within an average of 6 months. The method of availing oneself with a good caregiver in Nigeria is neither convenient nor dependable especially as their aren't available systems that offer specific training for such jobs. Home-based caregivers are largely recruited under a guised system that is now known to cause more harm than good to our young children.

An employer-sponsored child care centre offers massive economic benefits to any country because it promotes higher productivity at work which brings about increased financial rewards. According to a study in Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to work for, organisations that offer such efforts have been known to have an average rise in their stock value of 37%, versus an average rise of 25% for the general stock market.

The truth is that the turnover of absenteeism has a direct cost to businesses. Savings that are attributed to employer-sponsored childcare are realised in reduced cost of recruitment and derived from improved work performance.

The Learning Craft offers consultancy on the development of Employer-Sponsored Child Care Centers. Contact Us for more. 
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