PARTY ETIQUETTE FOR CHILDREN Who doesn’t love a party? Whether it’s a  small family celebration or big extravaganzas, parties are an important way to mark the many milestones in our childrens lives. And, seeing the joyful, happy cake- filled, little faces, after the fact, usually helps us forget about the sometimes exorbitant costs, stress and planning that often go along with these events. But wouldn’t it be great to have a little help now and then? Getting children involved in organizing and h [...]

TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN THANK YOU CARD AND GIFT ETIQUETTE In Good Company has the following advice in answer to the question about children and whether they should be writing Thank You cards for gifts they have received. For children under age five, parents should send a card on the child’s behalf if gifts are not opened under the eye of the giver or when a special grown-up sends  a present. (Incidentally, although it has become commonplace, most parents are annoyed and most children very disappo [...]

Teach Kids Manners – Some Books To Help Them Learn When working with small children, and trying to teach them any topic, it is helpful to use various methods, real life teaching followed up by repeating the lessons they learned using books and – these days – online videos.  In today’s blog, we’ll recommend some books for the little ones. Karen Katz’  EXCUSE ME – A LITTLE BOOK OF MANNERS  - is aimed at toddlers and uses fun and interesting pictures of babies that will draw their attention to illu [...]

Teaching children to respect and appreciate diversity. Being successful in a multicultural environment..whether it is school or a future workplace...is about more than just tolerance. Truly embracing diversity and what people from different cultures,, lifestyles, and viewpoints bring to the table is the recipe for success in today's connected world. Planting the seeds of mutual appreciation - beyond mere tolerance- makes any group stronger. The diverse collection of experiences and viewpoints sh [...]

How To Teach Kids Manners  - In the Modern World Children and manners are almost as hot a topic in the modern era as in our grandmothers day, if a quick search in Google is any indication.  While I am not sure what manners training looked like in our great grandmothers day (beyond the pages of stodgy old books…) From parenting magazines to mommy bloggers to webpages for etiquette classes like the ones we hold for kids from four to eighteen at In Good Company, the internet is full of advice on ki [...]

PARENTING ON THE GO – Travelling with little ones If you have ever spent time travelling with children - or been the unwilling witness to a parent dealing with a child having a tantrum in an airplane, train, or bus- you know that even the most carefully laid travel plans can turn into a challenge with kids in tow. You may have even witnessed frustrated parents have mini meltdowns of their own in embarrassment at not being able to calm down a toddler having a tantrum. Everyone should have a littl [...]

LEADING EXPERTS PROVE CIVILITY MATTERS! The often repeated idea that today's children are far ruder than kids of previous years to their teachers is pretty much a sadly accepted truth these days. We hear shocking stories of classroom behavior we older folks feel sure we would never have gotten away with (though a recent UK news article prefaced an article on the topic with the provocative headline "If you think today's kids are rude in the classroom wait til you see the teachers." The truth is - [...]

CHILDREN AND GOOD DIGITAL MANNERS In Good Company CEO Lew Bayer was recently asked to comment on children and “good digital manners.” She had this to say : “As a civility expert for the past 18 years, my companies  offer social skills training and supports for both parents and children. I would say that parents should think first about whether a 7-10 year old for example needs to be online at all - e.g., emailing and engaging in Facebook or Tweeting etc.  Our research shows that if children firs [...]