We don't. I have the feeling that while my children say "Please" and "Thank You" there is something missing. For example - we had a family over for dinner a few weeks ago and Roo said ever so politely to an adult "Move, please." "Excuse me" might have been more appropriate, but how should he know that? I sheepishly admit that I have never taught him that "Excuse me" is preferable to "Move, please.
So my new resolution is to become more civilized.
This means using table linens, i.e. table cloths and cloth napkins. First, our kitchen/dining table is a mess. 7 years of fork banging has taken its toll and there are large craters on the surface of the table. I filled the deepest holes with wood putty for sanitary reasons - food could get stuck in there and never come out. I have some tablecloths to use for everyday and will seek out more for the collection.
Also, the napkin issue. Moose's family always has paper napkins on the table. I think this is well, trashy. Now, mind you my family didn't use any napkins. I guess we just used the back of our hands. When things got really messy someone was dispatched to the kitchen to grab a few paper towels. So I will concede that the in-laws win the classy contest there. My Mother in-law even gave me a lemon themed napkin holder, but as I have this strange aversion to paper napkins unless I am at a picnic, it lives on the top shelf of my cupboard. I do possess a set if silver(plated?) napkin rings and some cloth napkins. I will be enlarging my stash of napkins as well.
Women are always bemoaning the loss of gentlemen in our society, I have been known to complain about it once in a while myself. But I realized maybe I should be teaching my boys to be gentlemen and my daughter and I how to be ladies. I have never felt that I quite mastered the ladylike qualities. We will be working on that too. Moose will be that hardest one to train I suspect, he's stubborn and knows he can get by without.
So if anyone has a good book on manners let me know. My sister and I embarked on this mission once before but all we learned from Emily Post was how to write thank you notes and plan weddings.
