All About Good Manners |

Firstly, teach them a customary polite greeting such as “Hello, may I help you?” or “Hello, who is this speaking please?”. There’s nothing worse than to be on the receiving end of a “”Yeah?”.

Secondly, teach them never to identify themselves - unless they know who is calling.

Phone Etiquette

When children answer the phone and it is for someone else, they should politely say, for example, “Yes,  my mother is here, one moment please while I get her,” and always hand the phone to the requested person. Yelling, ” HEY MOM, PHONE!” is very disrespectful, both to the caller and to the recipient and should be curbed immediately.

Wrong Numbers

Responding to a wrong number appropriately is crucial. Children should never give personal information of any kind to unknown callers, including their own names or the names of others in the household.

A respectful and safe response to a wrong number is, “I am sorry you have the wrong number,” and hang up.

People who prey on children know how to manipulate them into giving personal information.

Teach your children to hang up immediately and without saying, “goodbye,” if the caller makes them feel even remotely uncomfortable. After hanging up, the child should alert a parent immediately.

If home alone, children should never let a strange caller know. teach them to have an excuse ready, “I am sorry but my father is busy and can’t come to the phone right now. Goodbye.” The child should then hang up immediately without further discussion.

• You should always stand when offering a toast unless it is a small informal group.  Standing can help you to get the attention of the group and quiet them down. Don’t signal for quiet by rapping on a glass.
• It’s very bad manners to push someone to make a toast who would otherwise prefer not to. (You may hear a toast that you would just as soon not hear).
• Never refuse to participate in a toast. It is more polite and perfectly acceptable, to participate with a non-alcoholic beverage or even an empty glass than not to participate at all.

If you are the Guest of Honour, or have a toast offered to you, incline your head modestly and remain seated.

Never drink a toast or stand, when it’s being offered to you. However, you should always stand up and respond to the toast, even if this means just thanking the host or the toast maker for the gesture.