What’s In A Name?

As a young Mother, I feared raising ill-mannered children that no one would want to babysit. As I become seasoned in my role as Mother, I realize all that I have learned from my parents and which childhood lessons I pass on to my children in my every day life. The more I learn, the better a parent I become. There are many people that don’t know how to begin to teach manners to their children. Children are behaving rudely because they don’t know any better, due to a lack of discipline or not having proper role models in the home. Inspired by this, I made a recent decision to become a part of the solution instead of continuing to lament on societal ills.

Becoming a child etiquette coach has allowed me to do this. I specialize in the education of young African-American males because it is what I know best. Aware of the perception of young Black males in our society and the challenges that face them, my classes are designed to deal with some of those issues. For example: Is it easy to be polite when others are laughing at your manner of speech, or talking down to you because you are not able to properly articulate your thoughts? If you rarely have the opportunity to dine formally, how do you learn to do so? You want to get your first job, but what is the basic interview protocol?

As an executive wife, my sons have been exposed to any social situation you can imagine. They have attended various churches, public speaking engagements, office events, organizational meetings and even private dinners with the Mayor. In nearly every situation, I am barraged with compliments about my “well-mannered” children. This is not to say that they are angels, however in comparison to their peers they generally fare better. I credit this to our due diligence as parents in ensuring our children are taught the proper way to behave, starting with their conduct in the home. I am confident that other parents can adopt what I have learned to apply these principles in any situation.

Instead of assuming that all ill-mannered children are the result of a lack of proper parenting, I’m creating ways to help parents educate themselves and their children. Along with offering instruction, I am publishing a line of etiquette books titled, “Etiquette For Little Black Boys” geared toward young African-American males. Look for upcoming information @ www.etiquetteforyoungblackboys.com.

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