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Mind YOUR manners, continued ...Published: February, 2010

With good manners, a child is more likely to be well-liked by her teachers and do better in school, be invited back by other parents for play dates and sleepovers, and develop a higher level of self-confidence through positive feedback from those around her.
    
All of these things can lead to more opportunities in life – from dinner out with Mom and Dad to success in moving up the corporate ladder.
    
“If they can understand the benefits, they are more likely to mind their manners,” Symington says.

But minding manners doesn’t start and stop with verbal cues. Saying “please” and “thank you” is only the beginning. It is also important to teach children technology etiquette, dinner table guidelines and the often-forgotten art of writing thank-you notes.
    
Swann recommends parents sit down to dinner together at the table as many nights per weeks as possible.
    
“When these children get older and they move into various areas of life … they’re going to have to know how to conduct themselves at the table,” Swann says.
    
For now, they may need to conduct themselves during dinner with a friend, but eventually they may attend weddings or other large public events, Swann points out.
    
Symington describes how parents can start with gradual steps by teaching very young children not to throw food and older children to use their fork properly and fold their hands and place their napkin in their lap.