Flowers? Candy? Breakfast in bed? These are all great ideas, but have you ever thought about giving the gift of manners for kids this Mother’s Day?

I know plenty of mothers (and grandmothers) who would love for their kids to learn (and continue to practice) good manners.

I teach classes where children will learn the basics of good manners, handshakes, introductions, etc and then move through a three-course meal where they learn how to properly enjoy a meal without making a mess. The two-hour class provides children the opportunity to learn new skills while practicing their manners in a fun-filled environment. I’ve always believed Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote: “Manners are the happy way of doing things.” I make sure the kids have a good time in the class while instilling the importance of good manners in school, at home, and in their future: careers, dating/marriage.

I think all moms would agree:  Kids who have manners make all moms happier. What better gift could mom want this Mother’s Day?

For more information about classes, please call 239-287-7070.

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)