Etiquette

John has been attending an etiquette class after school for the last month or so.  I threatened to send him last year but he begged and plead and promised radical things (like to eat with a fork and wipe his mouth on a napkin) so, against my better judgment, I held off and hoped for improvement.  I will give him credit for having beautiful manners when speaking with adults and saying things like please and thank you, but the whole suppertime thing just gets worse as the days go by.  The night before the first class Honey and I reminded him that he would be attending and it was undeniably the worst tantrum I’ve seen since age three.  If you are imagining a seven year old writhing around on the kitchen floor with a flood of tears and gasps of “please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease, don’t doooooooooooo this to mmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” then you are spot on.  It was ugly. 

I arrived super early to retrieve him from the first class so that the didn’t have to bear one second more of the torture than absolutely necessary.  So, imagine my supreme delight when he came bounding out with the biggest grin on his face and exclaimed “I LOVE IT!!!  Manners are SO much FUN, Mommy.”  And so it went each week as he learned about making introductions, phone etiquette, table manners and the likes!! 

The class culminated tonight with a fancy dinner at a local restaurant.  Only the littles were allowed to attend this four course extravaganza, but y’all know I couldn’t resist peeking through the plants to see what on earth was transpiring (we hung out with the baby in a different part of the restaurant).  It was positively darling to spy on their polite conversations and to witness their grown up manners.

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After the dinner and as John’s teacher was gushing about what a star pupil he was,  it was like slow motion as a sudden look of horror spread across her face.  Wouldn’t you know the baby chose that precise moment to throw his head back and literally pour salt into his mouth straight from the shaker?!?!  It was all I could do to hold in snorts of laughter.  We went ahead and reserved his spot for 2016.  (As if this incident two years ago wasn’t enough to ensure his attendance.)

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With that, I’m off to bed.  I thought about starting on the mounds of laundry that make it look like fourteen people live here.  But it’ll be here tomorrow.
xoxo

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9 thoughts on “Etiquette

  1. Oh how funny that he chose such a moment to pour salt in his mouth!! I guess no matter how much we teach them, boys will always find a way to be boys. And maybe that isn't such a bad thing. :) I just adore that you put him in etiquette classes. I'd like to do the same with my children when they are old enough. XOXO

  2. Oh that is hilarious! I made my son do the Cotillion thing in middle school. It was pure torture to him.

    Just so you know, you have many more salt shaker days ahead. :)

  3. So glad that manners are not dead. I'd love to find some etiquette classes. My sons occasionally try, but we have a long ways to go. I laughed about the salt shaker only because Friday night we were at a somewhat nice restaurant and my younger son finished his half of a pizza, says he is still hungry and grabs the parmesan shaker and starts licking it. I think he and cookie are related!

  4. I think my sons would have that same temper tantrum if I made them take etiquette classes but I do think it is a wonderful idea! We try to teach them to have good manners but I am sure those classes give them so much more training. Congrats to John for his accomplishment!
    -Shelley

  5. Love that you sent him to manners school! My mother in law used to teach a manners class when my husband was young, so manners are a HUGE deal in his family. I've started teaching our newly 2 year old son as much as he can understand. He says please and thank you and we're working on others. Can't wait for him to be able to attend this type of class too. Gotta help our little guys be gentlemen!

  6. That Baby!!!! LOL
    Wish etiquette was taught out here in the country! I would LOVE for Ericka to attend. I have an old Vanderbilt etiquette book that I just love. Correct place setting….a life lesson that I show Ericka….praying it sticks.

  7. Somehow I missed this post and am just reading it today. Thank you for the chuckle – it was a delightful read. Congratulations John and I'm sure he'll teach Whit several things before he has to attend the class himself in 2016. P.S. I also wish that more schools taught this – it is SO missing in today's young people!

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