Brush up those manners

By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 27, 2000

Sidney Bayne of Smarter Image in Clearwater suggests implementing these rules at your house to teach children better manners:

• Wash your face and hands before coming to the table.
• Wait until everyone is served to begin eating.
• Don't say "Oooh, gross" if you don't like something.
• Taste what you are served even if it's green (or mushy or leafy or mixed together).
• Chew with your mouth closed.
• Always thank the cook.

There is much more to table etiquette than these simple rules, but they are a place to start. Don't turn your dinner table into a war zone by constantly harping on children. That, we can guarantee, will backfire. As they master these rules, add more.

How to dress up a table

Don't be beastly Who cares about table manners? People who want to have a more pleasant dining experience. Courtesy does count. Brush up those manners Sidney Bayne of Smarter Image in Clearwater suggests implementing these rules at your house to teach children better manners: How do your manners rate? Take this quiz and find out how refined you are. All of the situations pertain to eating in someone's home, not in a restaurant. Check your score at the end. Answers are courtesy of Letitia Baldrige's Complete Guide to the New Manners for the '90s.

Edward Lent of Noritake china will give a presentation on table settings at the Oct. 5 "Caring Times" luncheon at the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa to benefit Breast Health Initiatives.

Topics will include how to put your lifestyle on the table, who's coming to dinner, tableware and planning a table to fit the menu.

Cost of the event, sponsored by Morton Plant Mease Foundation and Burdines, is $50. For information and tickets, call (727) 725-6233.

Read more

There are several etiquette books to guide you through the world of modern manners. Most large bookstores such as Barnes & Noble or Borders have sections devoted to the topic. Here are some books to look for:

Miss Manners' Basic Training: Eating by Judith Martin (Crown Publications, 1997, $15)

Emily Post's Etiquette, 16th Edition by Peggy Post (HarperCollins, 1997, $35)

Letitia Baldrige's Complete Guide to the New Manners for the '90s by Letitia Baldrige (Scribner, 1990, $30)

Letitia Baldrige's More Than Manners!: Raising Today's Kids to Have Kind Manners & Good Hearts by Letitia Baldrige (Scribner, 1997, $23)

Social Smarts: Manners for Today's Kids by Elizabeth James (Clarion Books, 1996, $6.95). Reading level: ages 9 to 12.

How Rude! The Teenagers' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior, and Not Grossing People Out by Alex J. Packer (Free Spirit Publications, 1997, $19.95).

Manners online

The following Web sites have helpful table etiquette rules for children and adults:

http://www.learn2.com. This Web site tells you how to do almost everything, including set the table.

http://www.familyeducation.com. A good source for everything related to family life.

http://www.ryangrpinc.com/public/index.htm. From finger bowls to folding napkins, this site is a gold mine of information.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright