The Grocery Store

The grocery store may be one of the places you frequent most often, so it's important to have the best of manners while you are there:

• Do follow express lane rules!  (By far the biggest manners infraction at your local grocery).
• Do let those in front of you take the spot in a newly opened lane.
• Do put an item back in its proper place if you decided you don't want it.  Don't stash it just anywhere.
• Do bag your own items if there isn't an employee bagging at your checkout, this will get your out the door faster and allow the cashier to move immediately to the next guest in line.
• Do make your items accessible to the cashier.

The Importance of Stationery

Everyone needs stationery. The warmth of a hand written note cannot be matched by email. And even though modern etiquette dictates a thank you email can be appropriate, I always prefer to write such a sentiment on stationery.

Getting an actual piece of mail is rare these days. Most of us are inundated with catalogs, bills and solicitous fliers. So imagine receiving a note on personalized stationery from a friend or family member. That conveys a type of care and thoughtfulness that is hard to find anywhere else.

So before you make a quick call, send a text or an email. Think about delivering your message in a different way. Think about sitting down, leaning in and hand writing a note on stationery. I think you'll feel that you've conveyed your message more effectively and that your recipient will feel just a little more special.

The Importance of Manners

Stuffy, Old-fashioned, out-dated. These are some of the words people may use today to describe classic etiquette and manners. Even if you feel this way ( I don't happen to), you must recognize the importance of etiquette as a resource for successfully navigating the social and corporate world.

Though not everyone is mindful of etiquette, when someone treats you with kindness by using proper manners or etiquette, you appreciate it. And more to the point, when someone treats you poorly and discards these rules, you ALWAYS take notice.

Remembering proper etiquette means you bring out the best of yourself and other people in a situation. Sometimes it's about recognizing what someone else is doing and sometimes its about rising to the occasion and making the decision to ignore what someone else is doing for the sake of everyone's comfort level.

Remember, as I have said before (with help from Clarence Thomas) "Manners open doors that even education cannot." And that's really the bottom line. Manners and etiquette can do things for people and in people, that other things cannot and that is why they are so important.

Tips for a being a great neighbor:

Be mindful of your neighbors’ schedules. If you know your neighbor is heading to or from work, or some other engagement, don’t be hindrance by trapping them in a lengthy conversation.

With the exception of your initial introduction, do not drop by without calling first.

If you are visiting, do not overstay your welcome. Be aware of your neighbors’ behavior and activities and politely excuse yourself when you feel the visit is drawing to a close.

Do not take advantage of your neighbor’s special skills. If your neighbor has expertise in a certain area, you are not entitled to endless consultations and free advice.

Ask for help only when it is necessary and thank neighbor’s appropriately for favors.


(sourced from Etiquette by Peggy Post)

Mover Courtesies

Whether your move requires help from a professional relocation company or the help of close friends who have decided to volunteer, there are certain courtesies you’ll want to be aware of.

• Have plenty of cold drinks available, be it water, soda, coffee or a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
• Be prepared to treat friends to lunch or dinner
• Keep pets corralled in a certain room or garage, out of the way of movers. If room is limited you might consider boarding them for the day (your pet may thank you!)
• Movers should be tipped when the job is finished. Depending on how much was moved, the difficulty of moving and their overall performance, head movers are tipped $25-$50 and team members are tipped $15-$30.
  
  

(sourced from Ettiquette by Peggy Post)

Moving Out Manners

This past weekend my fiance and I found the perfect place for us to live once we are married. The location is super convenient for his commute to work and there's plenty of space for me to create my very own home office! Manolo will be moving in at the end of this month and I'll be moving in once we are married. We are thrilled to have found what will become our first home together, so I thought this week's ettiquette posts would be on moving and the job of being a good neighbor.

Today's Tip: Whenever you move, the first step is always moving out of your current residence so here are some "Moving Out Manners."

• Plan your move from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. You don't want to be moving during rush hour or having your movers and neighbors competing for parking space.
• Be sure your movers are being polite. If they insist on blasting loud music while working, kindly ask them to turn it down so as not to disturb the whole street.
• Clean up after yourself. Leave your house or apartment free of any moving day debris such as boxes, newspaper, etc.
  
  

10 Basic Manners for Kids

This is a continuum from yesterdays post.

Hope you like it!

10 Basic Manners for Kids

1. Waiting their turn and not interrupting other people when they are speaking. No one can be heard if there are too many voices at once. Gently tell them to wait until someone is done speaking, and then ask their question. Be sure and give your child your full attention when you are done speaking so as to reinforce their positive behavior of waiting their turn. While your child is patiently waiting, hold their hand or put your arm around them to let them know you are aware of their presence.

2. No name calling. Even if it's in "fun," name calling hurts. Instead of labels, ask
your child to explain what the behavior is that bothers them.

3. Always greet someone when they come over to your house. Depending on your level of formality, you can teach your child to shake hands with adults who come over, but it's not necessary to shake hands with other children. But, your child should always say, "hello" or "hi" when someone visits so that the guest feels welcome.

4. Say, "Please" and "Thank you" often. It shows respect and appreciation. In addition, if they are thanked, then say, "You're welcome".

5. Clean up after yourself. Whether at home or at a friend's house, always pick up after yourself. It's their mess, so they need to clean it up. If your child does leave a mess, remind them that they need to clean up before the next activity can begin, and stick to it.

6. Good sportsmanship. After playing a game (sports, cards, board game), no
matter the outcome, be pleasant. If your child wins, tell them to not gloat or
show off, but be kind . If they lose, don’t sulk or get mad, but be a good sport
and tell the other child(ren) “good game” or speak well of them.

7. Take compliments courteously. If someone praises your children, teach them to be gracious and say, “thank you”, and avoid putting themselves down or pointing out
flaws.

8. Opening doors for others. When going into buildings, allow elders to go
first and open the door for them. When preceding others into a building, don’t
let the door slam in the face of those behind, but hold the door until the
person behind can grab it. Also teach your children that if someone holds the
door for them, then remember to say “thank you”.

9. Exiting/Entering etiquette. Elevators: allow those in the elevator to exit first before entering the elevator. Same with buildings or rooms - if someone is exiting the building or room through the same door you are entering, let them exit first.

10. Respect differences. When people do things differently from your family because of diversity in culture, race, or religion, then teach your child respect. Point
out how interesting it is or how different families do different things.
Families have their own traditions or rituals and it is important and has
meaning for that family.

Article via Dr. Dave & Dr. Dee

Table Manners for Kids..

Here are 12 easy tips to keep you kids minding their manners!

1. Eat with a fork unless the food is meant to be eaten with fingers. Only babies eat with fingers.

2. Don't stuff your mouth full of food, it looks gross, and you could choke.

3. Chew with your mouth closed. No one wants to be grossed out seeing food being chewed up or hearing it being chomped on. This includes no talking with your mouth full.

4. Don't make any rude comments about any food being served. It will hurt some one's feelings.

5. Always say thank you when served something. Shows appreciation.

6. If the meal is not buffet style, then wait until everyone is served before eating. It shows consideration.

7. Eat slowly and don't gobble up the food. Someone took a long time to prepare the food, enjoy it slowly. Slowly means to wait about 5 seconds after swallowing before getting another forkful.

8. When eating rolls, break off a piece of bread before buttering. Eating a whole piece of bread looks tacky.

9. Don't reach over some one's plate for something. Politely ask that the item to be passed to you. Shows consideration.

10. Do not pick anything out of your teeth, it's gross. If it bothers you that bad, excuse yourself and go to the restroom to pick.

11. Always use a napkin to dab your mouth, which should be on your lap when not in use. Remember, dab your mouth only. Do not wipe your face or blow your nose with a napkin, both are gross. Excuse yourself from the table and go the restroom to do those things.

12. When eating at some one's home or a guest of someone at a restaurant, always thank the host and tell them it was delicious even if it wasn't, or at least say that you liked the dinner, and mention a specific item that was particularly tasty, i.e. the dessert was great. Again, someone took time, energy, and expense to prepare the food, so show your appreciation.

Article via Dr. Dave & Dr. Dee

How to be a Gentleman: Etiquette

I know that there aren't many men that read my blog but ...

go ahead...

print it out and place it neatly on his dresser!

Here is an excerpt from
How to Be a Gentleman

1. Says "please" and "thank you" readily and often

2. Does not disparaige the beliefs of others

3. Always carries a hankerchief and is ready to lend.

4. Never allows a door to slam in the face of another person.

5. Does not make jokes about race, relligion, gender, or sexual orrientation.

6. Knows how to stand in line and wait his turn.

7. Always ready to offer a hearty handshake.

8. Keeps his shoes polished and his fingernails clean.

9. Admits when he is wrong.

10. Never picks a fight.