Did your children remember to bring their manners to the Thanksgiving dinner table? If they need a little extra “polish” before the next family gathering, it might be a good idea to sign them up for an etiquette class where they’ll hone their manners and learn new skills to make you proud at the table and beyond!

The next Mimi’s Manners class will be held Thursday, December 1 at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota from 6 – 8 p.m. in the restaurant’s private dining room. Children ages 6 – 12 are invited to attend the two-hour class where they’ll learn their “Ps and Qs” of dining, handshakes & introductions and other important skills in manners. The cost of the class is $80 per child and includes a delicious three-course meal prepared by the Ritz-Carlton Chef.  Children will receive a workbook, certificate of completion and with a set of good manners to help them be the best-behaved kids at any holiday function. For more information and reservations, please call 941-309-2008 or send me message at suzanne@suzannewillis.com.

One of the parents interviewed by a journalist before a recent Mimi’s Manners class said that she was concerned that proper etiquette skills were becoming extinct, especially among children. That was why she had signed up her three children for my class. (View the complete story from the Florida Times Union here.)

I created Mimi’s Manners more than ten years ago to help children learn important manners and basic communication skills that I believe are imperative for their future success, both personally and professionally.  I don’t want manners to become extinct and it’s my goal to share Mimi’s Manners with as many children as possible.

If you have ideas about skills that children should learn or ways that I can help share manners with more children, please let me know. Together, we’ll be able to reach those who need the training and we’ll keep manners alive!

Travel writer Paul Kandarian recently posted a very nice story about Mimi’s Manners in the Boston Globe. I had the pleasure of meeting Paul during his visit to Sarasota. He was a hoot and even though he claims he has terrible manners, I found him to be quite the gentlemen.

The topic of manners did come up during a group breakfast and I quickly found myself giving an impromptu lesson in manners to those at the table. Mostly it was a discussion of manners. Over the years, I’ve found that many people like to talk about manners, (especially the lack of manners) in today’s society. It seems that everyone has a “worst etiquette” story they like to share or a question they have about a particular manner. We enjoyed a lively discussion that morning and this article was a result of our conversation and his visit to my website for Mimi’s Manners.

The story can be read here:  Teaching Children Manners, Mimi’s Way  Enjoy! 

And a big thank you to Paul for the article. Mimi would love it as much as I do!

It’s true with sports, hobbies and anything else we’d like to improve in  our lives: We get better with practice.

During my classes, we discuss our favorite pastimes: tennis, baseball, ballet, art, etc. It’s fun to learn about their interests and watch their faces light up as they talk about the things they love: horseback riding, hockey, basketball, soccer, dance and so much more (ah…to be a kid again and have time for all these hobbies and classes!)

Discussing these hobbies is also an easy way to explain to them that their manners will only improve if they practice. It may be hard to hold the fork and knife the correct way–or take their spoon “out to sea” but as it is with their hobbies, each manner becomes easier the more they practice.

To become better with their manners, I encourage the children to share what they’ve learned in the class with family members and practice at home. Cutting their food becomes easier the more they practice. Shaking hands is easier the more they practice. Writing thank you notes becomes easier the more they practice.

They quickly realize that they new skills they’re learning may be challenging at first, but just like riding a bike, or hitting a baseball–the more they practice, the easier it gets!

Recently a friend told me that she’d love to take her family to The Ritz-Carlton for Thanksgiving Brunch but she’s too worried about her 7-year-old’s table manners to attend. She said that no matter what she does, he continues to burp at the dinner table, and she’s concerned that her three-year-old will soon follow in his footsteps.

I can understand her situation. She’s fantasizing about a lavish buffet complete with the a glass of champagne and a service staff to clean up afterward. Instead, she’ll be at home cooking, cleaning and telling her son to stop burping.

Throughout the years that I’ve been teaching manners, I’ve found that most parents do instill good manners in their children, it’s just that kids don’t like to listen to their parents. Sometimes it takes a class and instruction from a manner’s teacher before a child will learn and start implementing good manners.

If your child, or a child you know, could benefit from a manners class (before or after the holidays), here are the next classes being offered in Sarasota and Ft. Myers, Florida:

December 1, 2010 —  The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota (941-309-2008)

January 8 and February 5, 2011 — The Edison & Ford Winter Estates, (239-334-7419)