Using profanities almost seems commonplace in American culture today. Let’s face it — it’s almost impossible to avoid hearing profanities. We hear swearing on a large number of TV programs, movies, music, video games, sporting events and sometimes just from being out in public places. It may be commonly accepted to hear the use of […]
At a recent outdoor press conference, President George W. Bush teased a Los Angeles Times reporter for wearing “shades” while asking him a question. President Bush later learned that the reporter was wearing the sunglasses because of a serious eye disease. He later called the reporter to apologize for the incident. The reporter handled the […]
Being honest is a basic principle of etiquette. But being honest and not hurting someone’s feelings is sometimes a learned discipline for children. From an early age, we encourage children to “use their words.” Then, we marvel at how well they accomplish that task and really begin to grasp language. That is, until they say […]
Bringing a child to a performance is a very exciting experience, and should be pleasurable for all. Teaching your child what to expect and how to display good theater manners is a valuable life lesson. Before the show Try to get to the theater a little earlier than when the show begins, to avoid disturbing […]
Weddings are one of life’s most joyous occasions. They’re about family and the circle of life. Nothing embodies that cycle more than children at weddings. However, if you’ve ever been at a wedding where children were not prepared and behaved poorly, then you know first-hand how a joyous occasion can quickly turn into an unpleasant […]
Most of us have made an etiquette faux pas at some point in our life. And yes – it feels lousy while it’s happening, but the silver lining is that we can learn something from our mistakes. As hard as we try we will always make etiquette mistakes. The same holds true for children. We should […]
To many parents, the words “please don’t interrupt” feel like a mantra. Small children sometimes have difficulty understanding that interrupting is rude. The reasons for interrupting can vary — impulsiveness, self-absorption or simply bad manners. Whatever the case may be, it’s important for children to learn a polite way to get your attention. Most children […]
Q: My 9-year-old daughter and her friend made a huge mess in her room during a play date last summer. I told them that they would have to play outside until they could earn the privilege of playing indoors again. Fair enough, or so I thought. When time for the next play date arrived about a […]
The holiday season is upon us and that makes it a great time for children to learn the importance of verbally saying thank you, and writing thank you notes. Children are usually overjoyed to receive presents. However, sometimes young children don’t understand that receiving a gift is more than simply an acquisition, but rather an […]
Why talk about basic etiquette? The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on public attitudes about rudeness recently were published, and the results were not surprising. The poll was based on telephone interviews with 1,001 adults from most states, except Alaska and Hawaii. The majority of those polled believe people are ruder today as compared to 20 or […]