A lesson in good manners can benefit children for a lifetime.
It's good to learn a few Lawrence elementary students are getting some pointers about good manners. A recent photograph in the Journal-World showed Riverside School students being given a short course on manners and etiquette as part of a unit on nutrition.
Some may say this is unimportant or a waste of time, but good manners are important. Good manners, whether at a dinner gathering or in some social settings, can and do play a significant role in how a person is perceived and, in many cases, whether a person gets a job he or she is seeking.
It is unfortunate more parents are not doing a better job of teaching good manners at home. Perhaps some of the school children in the Riverside School class will pass along some tips on good manners to their parents, brothers and sisters.
For example, it is not good manners for men to wear baseball caps often seen backwards while eating in a public restaurant. What they do at home is their own business, but it's still not good manners. How to hold a fork and knife, how to pass food to others at a table, where to place the napkin, which fork to use, proper dinner conversation and what not to do, all are important. For example, they need to know that licking the butter knife and putting it back is not only gross but can spread germs.
According to a school psychologist with the Love and Logic Institute in Golden, Colo., children who have great manners have a powerful advantage over those who do not. "They make friends easier, get along better with their teachers and eventually make better employees and spouses."
A Colorado teacher said he decided to try to do something about poor manners after noticing the "ridiculously poor manners" in the school lunchroom. "Students were eating with their mouths open," he said. "They had their elbows on the table and, how can I say it, they didn't know how to have a nice meal conversation."
Congratulations to the teachers at Riverside School who realize the importance of good manners. Students in this class are fortunate young boys and girls and they are sure to benefit for the rest of their lives from this training. Good manners are important for all ages and in all settings, at home, as well as in public.
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