Celebrity event planner turned author, Ava Carroll-Brown presents to us “Where IS Your Mother?: A Simple And Suggestive Guide To The Basics of Proper Etiquette and Simple Grace” (Amazon.com).
At first glance to the title of the book, I was not sure how it read, but after reading cover to cover I now know that Where IS Your Mother? is something that you hear yourself asking a toddler with conviction. Its normally a question asked when a child is acting out of hand or is rude to his/her peers and adults. So, if you ever wondered if there was a book to raising the perfect child, then look no further, this is the book for you. By following the basic etiquette mentioned by the author your child will get noticed…in a good way.
What I love about Carroll-Brown’s guide is that it is geared towards young, old, children, teen and adults. She reminds you of basic day-to-day etiquette tips, such as, the proper way to setting a table, what to do with your napkin, when one should bring a gift and how to get children to behave at dinner.
Did you know that it is not appropriate to light a candle before 6pm? Carrol-Brown tells you why in one of my favorite chapters titled “The Six O’Clock Candle Rule.” The author also reminds us in the chapter titled “Table Taboos” the “no sharing at the dinner table” policy, this is something that we see displayed commonly in our home and in restaurants, but its clearly a big no-no. This guide is a great go-to reference for “all ages and all walks of life.” Remember that manners and etiquette for children is ranked as the most important quality to nurture in the family home. The home is where manners is planted. Children learn good manners in the home first, so start today by picking up your copy of “Where IS Your Mother?” and perhaps take note of these basic manners must-dos that I have been introducing to my toddler: Always say please, excuse me and thank you, personally when my toddler is interacting with an adult figure (i.e. neighbor, teacher, family friend, etc) I always use Mr. or Mrs. before his/her first name, for example “Say Good Morning to Mr. Sam”, knock on closed doors and NEVER, EVER use foul language.
What other manner must-do’s do you enforce in your family? Send us your comments below.
Want to learn more from the etiquette expert? Then follow Ava Carroll-Brown on her blog as she brings you daily etiquette tips.
*Disclaimer: A copy of the book was sent to Mommy Posh for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received for this review and all opinions are those of Mommy Posh ONLY.*