Asma Balfaqih

Good manners

Hospitality through a child’s eyes

14 October 2026 · 4 min read · By Asma Balfaqih

GOOD MANNERS A visit at home is a lesson incourtesy that no child canlearn by heart. Asma Balfaqih asmabalfaqih.com

When guests arrive, a lot is asked of children: greet, make room, wait, share. All at once, and usually without preparation.

This is why I talk with the children beforehand about what they may take on. Opening the door, arranging the shoes, bringing the water. A small task turns nervousness into pride.

And afterwards I ask what they noticed. Children observe guests very closely. Those observations lead to the most honest conversations about courtesy.

About the author

Asma Balfaqih is a children’s book author. She studied social work at Hadhramout University in Mukalla and taught the Quran and Islamic religion in Taiz and Mukalla. She writes in Arabic about values, family and faith in the everyday life of children, and lives with her family in Meisterschwanden, Switzerland.

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