9 Manners You Need To Know

s teenagers we can communicate with each other without caring so much about being polite to one another.

But once you become an adult,  you should know these basic manners.  

And it helps to start practicing now!

1. Respect the older generations. You may have heard the same stories over and over again.  You may think you have nothing in common with older generations because times have changed so much.  But remember that they were young once too!  Grandparents have the BEST stories, and such a unique outlook on life.  Take an hour to sit down with your grandparents, or an aunt or uncle and learn something new about them. You might learn a valuable life lesson.

2. Say “excuse me” before interrupting someone’s conversation. It’s beyond awkward having to interrupt someone in the middle of a conversation, but it’s even MORE awkward if you do it incorrectly!  “Excuse me” is the best way to get someone’s attention.

3. Keep your smelly dancer feet off of other peoples' couches! Couches are for snuggling, right?  

Well, no.  Not always.  

If you’re at someone else’s house, it’s impolite to put your dirty, smelly, dancer feet up on their nice couches.

4. Offer guests something to drink when they come to visit. Offering a drink is a nice gesture as a host.  This makes your guests feel welcome in your home, and it opens up the door for them to ask for what they need. Have you ever been a guest in a home where you didn’t feel comfortable?  It’s the WORST.  To make sure your guests always feel welcome and cozy, offering a drink upon their arrival is a great place to start.

There’s so many reasons for this.  There’s no room on the table for your napkin while you’re eating, and it fits great on your lap. It stops food from spilling on your clothes - because nothing is more embarrassing than stained pants. It’s easy to grab quickly when you need to wipe the corners of your mouth.

5. Your napkin should be on your lap when you’re eating. There’s so many reasons for this. There’s no room on the table for your napkin while you’re eating, and it fits great on your lap. It stops food from spilling on your clothes – because nothing is more embarrassing than stained pants. It’s easy to grab quickly when you need to wipe the corners of your mouth.

6. Wait for everyone at the dinner table to get their food before you start eating. This one is easy to forget, especially when your dinner is staring right at you screaming “EAT ME.”  If you remember this one, you’ll stand out from the rest. Or, if you don’t remember this one, you’ll stand out...but in a not-so-great way.

7. Say “No, thank you” … not just “No.” Would you like something to drink?

“I’m okay. Thank you, though!”

Very easy, but very easy to forget.[

8. Say “thank you” when you receive a gift.

Gift opening can be awkward, especially when you’re receiving gifts that you didn’t know you were getting, or you don’t know what they even are (the worst).

You can show appreciation by, of course, saying “thank you!”, but try taking it a step further by adding another comment:  

“This is so great, I can use this every day at school!”

“A friend of mine has this exact thing, I’m always asking to borrow it! Thank you!”

“Wow, this is so creative!”

“How thoughtful of you! You know me too well!”

“I’ve never heard of anything like this! I’m so excited to use it!”

It’s always nice to send a HAND-WRITTEN thank you card to anyone that gives you a gift.  Especially if they were not there when you opened it!

9. As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else. It’s easy to be in your own little world when you’re walking the halls at school, or any public place, but holding the door open for someone is such a nice gesture.  This shows that you care about the other person’s well-being and want to make their day even just the slightest bit easier.  If anyone has ever held the door open for you, you know the feeling! :)

Manners are easy to forget, but if you practice them daily they become a habit.  And they will ALWAYS be a good habit to have!

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