HALLOWEEN ETIQUETTE TIPS

 HALLOWEEN ETIQUETTE

Yes, there is such a thing as Halloween Etiquette.

What I mean by this is that it is a great opportunity to teach good manners when we are having fun with our children.  Halloween is the perfect opportunity to show our children how to behave and show respect to the people they will interact with when they go trick or treating around the neighborhood.

Here are some tips to put into practice, both for the kids and the parents!

1- Due to both cultural and religious reasons, may people might decide to not celebrate Halloween. If so, we should teach our children to respect these differences and as a consequence, if you see houses with the lights out, then don’t ring the bell. Great way to show respect.

2- When you get to a house to ask for a treat, always say please and thank you and have eye contact with the person giving you the candy. Don’t just grab the chocolates and place them in your goody bag while looking around for your friends or the house next door.  That would show very bad manners of the children’s part and lack of consideration for the person handing you the treats.

3- Be Grateful.  Never refuse or show displeasure for what you are given. Let’s teach our kids to receive a gift with a smile and say thank you. This is especially important now days that many adults decide not to offer candy but to substitute them for stickers, pencils or small toys.  If your children are expecting chocolates, they might be tempted to roll their eyes or refuse the gift. Remind your children that what is important is to thank the gesture irrelevant of the fact that we might not like or expect that gift.  It is the kindness of the neighbors that we should be grateful for, as they as not obligated in any way to provide any treats at all!

4- If there is no one handing out the candy, but instead they have left a basket with candy at the door,  have kids show their good manners by taking one or two pieces only, so that there will be enough for the children coming after you. Remember that sharing is not only Caring, but a sign of good manners.

5- The following is an aspect of Etiquette, but certainly also of safety. Tell your children to never go inside a house to get a treat. If someone asks you to step inside a stranger’s house to get your candy, always say NO, and leave as soon as possible to be with your group or to the closest house.

6- Lastly, let the children be reminded to not start to eat anything they have been given before reaching home.  When they are back at their house with their over flowing “Treat Bags”, give the parents the opportunity to review the contents and decide what is safe enough to consume.

Have a fun and safe Halloween while practicing your Good Manners!

Buenos Modales en Halloween

BUENOS MODALES EN HALLOWEEN

Aunque usted no lo crea, existe la Etiqueta de Halloween.

Lo que quiero decir con esto, es que es indispensable tener buenos modales aun en los momentos de diversión con nuestros hijos, y debemos ensenarles la manera correcta de comportarse y mostrar respeto por las personas con que vamos a interactuar.

Aquí les van unos consejos para poner en práctica tanto a padres como a sus hijos:

1- Por motivos culturales o religiosos, muchas personas deciden no celebrar Halloween, respeten esa decisión, si usted nota que las luces están apagadas, no toquen el timbre. Enséneles a sus niños a demostrar esa forma de respeto

2- Siempre que lleguen a una casa a pedir golosinas, digan por favor y gracias y mantengan contacto visual con la persona que los atienda. No estén tomando los caramelos y ya mirando a la casa del vecino. Eso es de muy mala educación y demuestra una desconsideración muy grande hacia la persona que le esta obsequiando.

3-Sea agradecido. Nunca desprecie o demuestre desagrado por lo que le ofrecen. Enséneles a sus niños a recibir con una sonrisa y las gracias cualquier cosa que le ofrezcan.  Hoy en día, muchos adultos deciden no obsequiar caramelos, sino calcomanías, lápices y pequeños juguetes, y si los niños solo quieren recibir chocolates, pueden demostrar malos modales haciendo malas caras o no aceptando un obsequio diferente.  Recuérdeles a sus niños que lo importante es agradecer el gesto, ya que es una gentileza de sus vecinos darles esos pequeños regalos, no es su obligación. 

4- Si no hay una persona entregando los caramelos, sino que han dejado una bandeja en la puerta, demuestre sus buenos modales tomando solamente, una o dos piezas, no una cantidad desproporcionada. Recuerde que compartir es una forma de mostrar amabilidad y cortesía.

5-  Esto es un aspecto de etiqueta,  pero además, sin lugar a dudas, de seguridad para sus hijos, es recordarles que nunca deben entrar a una casa extraña para recibir sus golosinas. Si alguien los invita a entrar, decir no gracias y continuar  rápidamente hacia la casa más cercana.

6- Por último, recordarles, que nunca deben comer nada de lo que le han obsequiado antes de llegar a su casa y brindar a sus padres la oportunidad de revisar el contenido de su bolso para garantizar que sea seguro comer lo que han recibido.

Consejos para Asistir a una Graduacion

Estamos en el mes de las Graduaciones y tenemos muchas preguntas sobre qué debemos hacer cuando recibimos una invitación para un acto de graduación, como vestirnos y la gran duda, si debemos llevar un regalo al graduando.

Bueno pues aquí les dejo unos consejos.

1- Confirme si la invitación es para el Acto Académico o para la fiesta de         Celebración del grado.  La mayoría de los actos académicos tienen un límite al número de invitados que cada graduando puede llevar y en la mayoría de los casos el acceso se reduce a los familiares más cercanos. Por lo tanto, no se ofenda.

2- Si asiste al Acto Académico, sea puntual y no espere que le guarden asiento si usted no llega junto al grupo familiar. En este tipo de evento no se debe guardar asientos para los que no han llegado pues es una desconsideración para las personas que llegaron temprano.  Si usted, llega tarde, siéntese donde pueda y punto.

3- Si usted ha sido invitado para la celebración, también debe ser puntual pero aquí lo que le quiero recordar es que su vestuario debe ser acorde con la hora del día en que se celebra. Esto significa que no debe ir vestido como a un coctel o fiesta de gala si la familia invita para las 3 de la tarde en el jardín de su casa. La elegancia parte de que su vestimenta sea apropiada al momento y lugar del evento.

4- Por último, no olvide llevarle un regalo al graduando. Siempre es una señal de cortesía y buenos modales obsequiar un detalle a la persona que culmina sus estudios, como reconocimiento a su esfuerzo. Desde un libro o bolígrafo hasta algún detalle que demuestre que usted conoce los gustos de su amigo o amiga. Hoy en día, también es aceptable el regalo de una tarjeta (gift card) para gastar en su tienda favorita y así dejar al gusto de la persona lo que quiera adquirir.

Disfrute asistiendo a las graduaciones de sus familiares y amigos y compartiendo la alegría por los logros obtenidos.

Good Manners we should be Teaching our Children

GOOD MANNERS TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN

I never get tired of repeating it. It is never too early to start teaching your children good manners. To the question as to why? My reply is simply that we are doing something that will directly contribute to the child’s success in life! What could be more rewarding than knowing that your child will be able to foster great relationships with family and friends, both peers and adults by having the skills to do so.  Having good manners will make your child a more pleasant and kind person. Someone with empathy and gratitude.

So what manners should you be teaching your child?

Here are some that I suggest you start working on right away!

1- Say Please and Thank You – sounds obvious right, but the important thing is that you use those words with him or her, so that your modeling is as loud as your words.

2- Saying Sorry – along with the top ones, a really important word to learn to use, simply because it shows that you are aware of someone else’s feeling and emotions.

3- Making Eye Contact – it shows respect and basic courtesy to the person you are speaking with. Teaches to pay attention and be an active listener.

4- Having a Conversation – from topics to the volume of your voice, this is a very valuable skill to teach children from a young age. It also promotes self-regulation as it allows them to share their interests and feelings while doing it in an appropriate way.

5- Helping others – such as opening door for older people or someone with full hands. It will promote self-esteem and be well-liked by others.

There are, of course, many more manners that we should and could teach, but  if we start with these, we are sure to make a very useful contribution to our children’s social skills and, therefore, success.

Valentine's Etiquette- Friendship and Love

Etiqueta Excellence Manners

ETIQUETTE IN THE MONTH OF FRIENDSHIP & LOVE

During this month let's work on using the celebration of Friendship and Love, as a source for sharing affection, good manners and social graces, to help us all become  the best that we can be. It is a great opportunity to talk about how having good manners influences in creating friendships and keeping good friends. 

It is also a great month for celebrations and parties. In schools, clubs and churches and even at work we will be invited to Valentine's Day Parties. What a great chance to learn about hosts and guests duties. How to treat your guests with love and respect.

Last but not least, let's practice some basic table manners! It is also a great opportunity to review keeping elbows off the table and chewing with your mouth closed. Table manners also covers the use of napkins and utensils and
how to handle a buffet line!

It is an excellence opportunity to celebrate by attending an etiquette class with a group of friends and  improve our social skills while letting our women family members and friends how much we appreciate them.

Our society  will be much better off if we as adults show trustworthiness, citizenship, responsibility, fairness, caring and respect. All of which can be fostered by improving our good manners and practicing civility and mostly by
showing our appreciation to those important people in our lives.

Have a Happy  Month of Friendship & Love!