Hi ,
Any1 interested to send your child to etiquette classes??
I’m sending mine.
Yeah every day at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and to be completely honest throughout the rest of the entire day! lol
But yeah, he doesn’t go to a “class” but we are having classes of etiquette every minute of every day. I have a book on etiquette and I teach him how to properly answer the phone, how to carry on a conversation with adults and how to hold his fork and where to put his napkin. Meal time is one of the biggest teaching times and he knows not to take a bite until after the hostess takes the first bite, to put his napkin and hand on his lap and where to lay his knife while he’s not using it. He knows how to set a table properly and asks to be excused when he’s finished, and knows how to sit quietly and wait while other people finish eating.
Lots of people have been impressed by his manners as it’s so rare nowadays for a young person, especially a tiny child, to have respect for their elders. He uses the basic “please”, “thank you”, holds the door for ladies and calls adults “Sir” and “Ma’am”. You should see the looks on peoples’ faces when they are given the respect of being addressed as “Sir” or “Ma’am”! He likes to tell people he’s a “gentleman”.
I think when kids are young that our example and the behavior we expect at home is the best teacher, and I’m not even sure they offer etiquette classes to 1-, 2-, or 3-year-olds. How old is your child?
As he gets older I’ll teach him more in depth manners, like etiquette for a formal dinner, and I’ll get my information out of an etiquette book, but for now just learning how to relate to and respect adults and other children is a sure foundation for future learning of the dos and don’ts of social behavior.
Doman Mom,
Where are this classess getting conducted.I stay i USA.Is it available in USA?
Sapna
hey
Are such classes also conducted in India.
Intresting topic!!
In my country there are no such schools. Are there any books or a website to guide parents to teach children manners?
Seema where do you stay in India?
Sapna
Sapna,
If you’ll recall I said that “But yeah, he doesn’t go to a “class” but we are having classes of etiquette every minute of every day.” I teach him proper manners myself, at home, I don’t know of any classes. I have heard of them before but I know they are quite expensive and usually don’t take kids under four years old. I think it’s easier to just teach them yourself, especially while they’re young.
Fazy,
I’m sure there is lots of information available on the web about etiquette. I googled it and found a lot of things, although nothing really stuck out to me as something “great” to recommend to you guys. I know you can check out books at your local library about etiquette rules, there are many. But the main thing that you would want to teach them is to say things like “please” and “thank you” and treat others with respect and dignity. That is the basis of all manners - courtesy for others. You don’t need a book to teach your child that! It’s a way of life and the example you set and the behavior you require of your children.
However there are some things that it might be useful to have a “guide” for, such as how to act properly at a wedding, a formal dinner, etc. And for that you can find information on the internet or at your local library.
A few useful links I found, one was this wikipedia article on “etiquette”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette
Here is an article on table manners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_manners
Etiquette differs from culture to culture, so finding a book for your own country would be useful.
One thing I like to read to Hunter is George Washington’s “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation”. Sure, a lot of it is outdated but reading it myself made me realize how rude we Americans have become. Simple things like “Sleep not when others Speak, Sit not when others stand, Speak not when you Should hold your Peace, walk not on when others Stop.” Just simple gestures that show others consideration and respect. Here is a link to the list:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Rules_of_Civility_and_Decent_Behaviour_in_Company_and_Conversation
Hope you all find what you’re looking for! It would be great if we could create Little Reader presentations for etiquette rules of different countries.
I definitely want to teach my son about opening doors for the ladies. Hardly any guys do that any more! lol
You can find books on ebay that are pretty inexpensive. Just type in good manners. Ettiquite doesnt work as well but good manners will bring up lots of stuff.
Its a such a wonderful thing to teach children good manners. I am also very much concern about this. I am kind of anxious to know how we could encourage toddlers who feel shy to face society and develop self confidence. Would teaching manners help to develop this habit?
I also think that good manners should just be part of general behaviour and a lot of it is related to how we as parents behave around other people. If I am constantly interrupting someone then my daughter will learn to interrupt people. If I treat people with respect then she will too.
Admittedly though, children do often need reminding - please and thank you can be taught by expecting it as well as by me saying it when appropriate.
The one thing that needs to be stressed here though is that certain things should not be expected in very young children. While it is good manners to share for example, you cannot expect a tiny toddler to share his/her toys - you could expect them to learn to take turns though. I think for certain things you do need to know about normal development before expecting your child to do something they may not be capable of yet (its the same as exepcting a child who cannot talk to say please - it just can’t happen)
I live in Singapore. I will be sending my child(will be 5 next year) for etiquette classes. She had attended the school holiday classes in Image Flair, Academy of Modern Etiquette (www.imageflair.com.sg) and she loves it.
I think on-going etiquette class is good because the double income family is becoming increasingly mainstream, and most parents (including me)spend less time with their families than they would prefer. Children are shuttled from one activity to another, and parents struggle to fit everything into a single workday. Amidst all this activity, one thing remains certain: one of the first things to get set aside in the nonstop action of the average day is taking the time to check children’s behavior in public and in private.
Of course it is important for us (parents to teach our child manners. ) However sometimes it is better to have someone professional, an outside interested party to help teach etiquette to our child . So etiquette can be best achieved through a joint effort on the part of parents and an outside interested party. 
I agree with you
Sapna
Friends,
Etiquette training and manner classes for children are extremely important these days with the demand for behavioral education being on the rise. The Children’s Etiquette training program consists of:
Children’s (aged between 3 and 12 years) teachers
Mommy-and-me groups
Public seminars conducted at restaurants within your community
Moms keen on hosting etiquette parties
Public seminars at YMCA or your local community center
After-school curricula
Moms who will buy the products that you can market and offer in your community or online. Your program shows you how!
The etiquette training and manner classes for children program teaches you fun games, exercises and activities to result in thrilling and appealing programs that will get rave reviews. The best aspect is, kids will always remember what you teach them and be grateful for the knowledge imparted.
I find this thread very interesting, and I agree, children should be taught etiquette and manners at a young age. I wrote a short article about it, which is included in the Early Learning Essentials subscription.
Teaching your children social skills early will help boost your child’s confidence, preparing her for success in the world outside your home. Proper etiquette is one of the most important lessons a child needs to learn, along with core life skills such as reading, math, and music. As adults, we are all expected to behave in a certain way, adhering to certain rules when it comes to social interactions - and as parents, the last thing we want is to have a child that everyone avoids because they don’t have good manners.
To augment any social training your child can have, I suggest reinforcing these lessons by being a good example to your children. Teaching manners inside the home will guarantee that your children will learn to behave well outside the home. And as parents, it’s important to remember that if you tell your children about proper etiquette yet fail to practice them yourself, then your children may imitate what you do and not do as you say.
Is their a link to Bryan Parker’s post?
Thanks for links, DomanMom, k. Very informative. I am working on respect factor with all my kids, as they are outgoing and friendly, but often just a bit too much so. Good manners are important and a good testimony to your beliefs.
I did a search and it turns out that Bryan Parker likes to join various forum posting the very same message. I found two other forums with this same post.
http://www.thebeijinger.com/forum/2009/02/25/Childrens-Etiquette-Training-Program
http://community.brandrepublic.com/members/2501611.aspx
Somehow he forgot to add the link here, which I found in his other posts:
http://www.etiquettemoms.com/
I do agree that manners are very important. However, I’m skeptic as to how much can be accomplished in a short 3-hr class. I agree with Doman Mom that the best place to teach manners is at home, every day.
wanni08, please let me know what you think of the class by Image Flair. I live in Singapore as well. I would love to hear your feedback about the class.
i agree that etiquettes and manners are important!and also i agree that it should start at home,parents should be the first examples on good behavior because we are the first persons our child look up to.
I know my son is one of a small few in his class that say please and thank you and excuse me, etc. We are trying to teach him to ask before leaving the table but he still forgets sometimes. We are constantly teaching hi manners and he picks up on everything very well. It is all about repitition. I know eventually he will ask to leave the table. He also learns so much by just watching us and how well mannered we are to each other and to others.
Hi Joan,
Eunice from Image Flair is very friendly, sincere and professional. I have sent my child to the class and had seen great improvement.
You may log on to www.imageflair.com.sg for more information about the etiquette classes.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Wanni08