What Happened to Manners?

 

Have you noticed that sometimes during the last decade etiquette has practically become extinct?  What has happened to manners?  Where have all of the Emily Post coffee table books gone?  Where are the classes that were taught when I was in high school?  What is happening to this world?  Am I the only one who has noticed this decline?

For example, below are some situations I have personally witnessed where manners were nowhere in sight:

• A person knowingly lets a door slam on the woman struggling with a stroller.
• A teenager bumps into someone and never utters a single “excuse me” or “I’m sorry.”
• A guy puts his feet on the theater chair in front of him while someone is sitting in it!
• A young man burps while dining at an upscale restaurant and laughs.
• A driver stops to let a car exit a driveway amid a traffic jam and is never thanked.
• Gifts are given and a thank you note is never received.

 

I could go on and on, and I am sure that each of you have similar stories and more.  The lack of decorum that is developing in our society is troubling, and it is something that needs to be addressed and corrected as soon as possible.   So, let’s start here.

 

Why are manners so important?  The reasons are so great that they deserve a bulleted list:

• You will feel more comfortable and, therefore, more sure of yourself in social and business situations.
• Those around you will feel more comfortable because displaying proper manners means that you care for others’ feelings.
• Your communication with others will be clear and concise.
• You will appear more successful and educated.
• You will always make a good first impression.

 

How can we help to ensure that etiquette is not forgotten?

1. In short, begin at home! Manners need to become an ingrained part of your everyday interactions and, therefore, must first be practiced at home.  Furthermore, children develop habits by watching their parents and siblings.  If you are practicing proper etiquette in your own home, it is sure to rub off on them.

 

2. The rules of etiquette tend to change as society evolves, so keeping up with those changes is imperative. I recommend taking a refresher course in manners at least every five years.  All in all, the one rule that stays constant is The Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Stick to that rule, and you will always come out ahead.

 

3. Talk to schools and churches about welcoming an etiquette teacher to share her skills with the students, staff, and faculty. When it comes to manners, practice makes perfect, so reiterating the rules on a yearly basis is a great idea.

 

4. Host an “etiquette party.” After all, learning can be fun!  Invite friends and family members over for dinner and drinks, all while learning how to navigate a table setting and how to properly hold a wine glass.

 

5. Make displaying and learning proper etiquette easy for you and those in your home. For instance, I recommend having plenty of books ready for any social situation that may occur. I even love the idea of having an etiquette book on a coffee table for all to peruse when they enter your home.  Also, have plenty of “thank you” notes and a good pen ready when needed.

 

In the end, it all starts with YOU!  Keeping manners at the forefront of your own life is the only way to ensure that they remain an important part of your world.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this article!

Thanks for reading!

Erin Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Organized for Back to School

Move over, summer!  A new school year is almost here and that means hectic schedules, alarm clocks, and paper piles.  Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with it all, but with a little organization you can create order out of the chaos.  Check out my tips below:

Take the time to transition!  Don’t let the school year sneak up on you.  Begin easing your children into their new bedtime routine gradually.  For instance, begin waking late sleepers earlier and earlier until it’s closer to the hour they will need to awake for school.

Organize their school clothes.  Go ahead and set aside a space in your child’s closet specifically for school clothes.  If your children do not wear uniforms, it may be a good idea to put together outfits a week at a time to avoid a war in the morning.  Or if you need to shop, check out the next tip.

Plan before you shop.  The beginning of the school year is always the biggest shopping time for stores, so it’s a good idea to be prepared.  Make a list of what your child needs so you won’t wander aimlessly and then leave with nothing, or worse, leave with way more than you need!

Create the perfect backpack nook.  This could be in a mudroom, laundry room, or simply inside the door they use the most.  I suggest hanging a coat hook for the backpack and placing a roomy basket underneath for papers and other paraphernalia.  Stopping paper clutter at the door is a must for any organizing junkie!

Make a plan for those piles of paper.  I suggest that you go ahead and devise a plan for what you will do with the paperwork that is soon to bombard you.  I love the idea of scanning coloring pages, A+ grades, and other keepsake pages and tossing the original.  Another idea is to create a display area for special papers and rotate them as needed.

Create a homework station.  Make doing homework more fun by creating the perfect space for your little one.  Let them help by decorating it and then storing it with papers, pencils, crayons, and other school work necessities.

Invest in a large calendar.  If you haven’t already, I suggest purchasing a large calendar that you can put in a central location for all to use.  When you begin receiving special dates from the school and/or sporting teams, put them in the calendar immediately.  I can imagine that nothing would be worse than missing your daughter’s school play or your son’s first t-ball game.

Create a nightly routine.  I promise this will save you from becoming crazed every school morning.  The more you can do the night before, the better.  For instance, go ahead and plan breakfast, pack lunches, choose outfits, scan backpacks for missing homework, projects, or library books, and make sure music and/or sports bags are packed and ready.

Remember…you can never be too prepared!

Happy new school year!!

 

“Polite to Me”

When I teach young children in an etiquette class I always give them a bookmark with a “Polite to Me” poem on it.  I thought I would share this poem with you today.

I Am Special

I am special

I’m unique

I’m one of a kind

And not a geek

I’m a first edition

There’s no one like me

I’m just the way

I’m supposed to be

I’ll respect myself

Take care of me

I get one body

So I”ll be

Polite to me.

 Please feel free to share it with your children, too.  Or if you’d like a bookmark all you have to do is ask!

Love,

Erin