Parents see value in manners classes
A recent Paul Turner column in The Spokesman-Review about bus-riding etiquette prompted a response from a woman in her 60s who bemoaned the lack of courtesy demonstrated by today’s youth.
She’s not the only one. Ramona Patten has also witnessed the decline of good manners. Patten has taught the “Manners Matter” class at the Corbin Art Center for seven years. While she agreed that a lot of respect in society is vanishing, she remains encouraged by the number of parents and grandparents who sign up children for her class. The class, offered through the Spokane Parks Department, is a tutorial on basic etiquette for ages 5 to 12. “Life is much more pleasant for children and others around them when children know how to behave in any situation,” she said.
Marcy Cook, mother of three, enrolled her two sons in the class several years ago. “We were wanting to go out to nicer places as a family,” she said. Though she was careful to teach them at home, she felt having another adult emphasize the importance of good table manners would make an impression on her sons. And it did. “They started correcting me at home,” she said with a laugh.
A “Young Ladies and Gentlemen” class has recently been added to the Parks Department schedule. Taught by etiquette instructor Monica Brandner, president of IMAGE by m.brander, the workshop focuses on manners as the key to building strong self-esteem.
Wanda Morlan enrolled her 6-year-old daughter, Mikayla, in a recent class, hoping Mikayla would learn how to play better with her friends. “It was worth its weight in gold,” she said. She appreciated the fact the class was held at the Davenport Hotel. “It made Mikayla feel important to dress up and go someplace special,” she said. “It also stressed that manners are important.”
Both Patten and Brandner emphasize that etiquette is more than saying “please” and “thank you” or knowing which fork to use. “Good manners show respect for yourself and others,” Patten said.
The importance of manners is also recognized at Gonzaga University. Student representatives from the Career Center plan a yearly Etiquette Dinner hosted by an etiquette professional. Students are encouraged to dress up and brush up on their table manners and conversation skills. According to Career Center Director Mary Heitkemper, 90 students attended the dinner this fall.
Like Heitkemper, Brander believes, “Manners and etiquette are really rules about how we should be treating people to make others feel comfortable.” Patten concurred and added, “Manners aren’t dead.”