Raising Confident Tween Girls- Social Skills and Manners

 

Raising Confident Tween Girls: The Most Important Manners for Tween Girls in 2026 & How Parents Can Teach Them

Parenting a tween girl today comes with new challenges, but also incredible opportunities. As our world becomes more digital and fast-paced, social skills and good manners remain essential foundations for confidence, emotional intelligence, and healthy relationships. In 2026, parents are increasingly looking for effective ways to help their daughters navigate friendships, school environments, and online spaces with grace and kindness.

To support today’s families, I created the Digital Tween Girls Social Skills Journal, available in my Etsy shop. This guided workbook is designed to help tween girls (ages 8–12) build the communication skills, etiquette awareness, and self-confidence they need to thrive—both in person and online.

Parents can use a guide

on the most important manners for tween girls in 2026 and the best parenting strategies to teach those social skills, along with how a journal can help reinforce these lessons at home.

How the Digital Tween Girls Social Skills Journal Helps

This printable etiquette and social-skills workbook was created to make learning manners fun and meaningful for tween girls. Inside, your daughter will find:

• Guided reflection questions
• Real-life etiquette scenarios
• Social-skills activities
• Confidence-building prompts
• Cute, girly designs that make learning enjoyable

Parents can use the journal as a teaching tool to start positive conversations, practice manners more consistently, and help their daughter grow into a poised, confident young lady.

Final Thoughts

The world your daughter is growing up in is constantly changing, but one thing remains timeless: good manners and strong social skills never go out of style. By teaching the most important manners for tween girls in 2026 and using the best parenting strategies to develop these social skills, you're giving your child a foundation that will benefit her for a lifetime.

If you’d like a beautiful, guided resource to support your daughter on this journey, explore the Digital Tween Girls Social Skills Journal in my Etsy shop. It’s a gentle, empowering way to build confidence, kindness, and real-world etiquette—one page at a time.

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/EtiquetteExcellence

Showing up with Uninvited Guests

 When an Invitation Isn’t for Everyone: Why Uninvited Guests (and Pets) Shouldn’t Tag Along

Imagine this.

You’ve spent the week preparing your home for friends who are coming to stay over the weekend. Fresh linens are on the bed, groceries are stocked, and you’ve planned a few meals and outings that you know your guests will enjoy. Everything is ready.

Then the doorbell rings.

Your friends arrive—along with someone you’ve never met… and their dog. Suddenly, the quiet weekend you envisioned feels very different. Sleeping arrangements don’t work, the extra guest has dietary restrictions you didn’t plan for, and your neighbor (who already dislikes barking) is now giving you side glances across the fence.

Your smile stays polite, but inside, you feel caught off guard.

 

Why It Feels Disrespectful

While the extra guest or pet might seem harmless to the person who brought them, to the host it can feel like an intrusion. When someone invites you into their home, it’s not the same as inviting you to a public event. They’ve considered space, time, and energy for you.

Adding another person or animal changes the entire dynamic. It may stretch the household budget, overwhelm a carefully planned weekend, or make other guests uncomfortable. And let’s not forget allergies, safety concerns, or even house rules that are disrupted without warning.

At its heart, showing up with an uninvited guest or pet sends a message—intentional or not—that the host’s boundaries don’t matter.

The Graceful Alternative

If you’ve been invited to a weekend stay but feel you can only attend if you bring someone else (or your pet), the considerate step is simple: ask first.

A host may happily say, “Of course, bring them along!” Or they may hesitate because it truly doesn’t work for their household. If that’s the case, the gracious thing to do is either make alternate arrangements for your guest/pet—or politely decline the invitation.

Either way, you’ve respected your host’s effort and maintained the trust that makes hospitality possible.

Good Manners Make Good Memories

The best weekend visits are the ones where both guest and host feel comfortable, relaxed, and appreciated. That happens when we arrive as invited—no more, no less—ready to enjoy the gift of someone opening their home to us.

So the next time you receive a warm weekend invitation, remember: the kindest way to say “thank you” is by showing up just as expected—without surprises, without extras, and with plenty of gratitude.

BACK TO SCHOOL ETIQUETTE TIPS

 

                                     BACK TO SCHOOL ETIQUETTE

Parents are busy now preparing their children for the new school year. New uniforms, books and school supplies take priority; but it is the perfect time also to remind our children of how important it is for them to practice good manners and polite behavior in school.

These etiquette tips for school etiquette will help your child give a good first impression from day one, build positive and strong relationships and feel confident in knowing what is the correct behavior while in daily school activities and in special events. Greet teachers and classmates with a smile

1-     Greet teachers and friends with a smile and making eye contact

2-     Respect personal space

3-     Respect school property and materials

4-     Use Polite Words – please and thank you always

5-     Follow school rules and instructions

6-     Be inclusive and Kind

7-     Take responsibility for your actions

8-     Keep your belongings clean and organized

These are etiquette principles that will boost your child’s self-confidence as they build the social skills  they need to thrive in any academic setting and beyond.

Wishing parents and children a kind, polite and successful school year!

 

FLAG DAY ETIQUETTE

 

Flag Day in the United States is observed June 14^th every year, to commemorate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States on June 14^th, 1777 by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

Our flag should be beyond politics and it is my hope that we continue to respect it as one of our national symbols  and, therefore, teach our children the importance and deep meaning of practicing “Patriotic Manners”

Flag Etiquette, is determined by the official guidelines found in the U.S. Flag code (Title 4 of the United States Code) which determines how it should be displayed. it’s location and position in relation to other flags and how it should be retired when too worn to be displayed.  

I take this opportunity to remind you, that our Flag Protocol indicates that the national flag stand alone on a stage, to the audience’s left.  No other flag is placed to the right of the flag.

Another #flagetiquette tip is to remember that when displaying the flag horizontally against a solid background, the blue field with the stars (called the "union") should always be at the top left when you are observing it.

Have a wonderful Flag Day and share the pride for this national symbol.

Teaching Kids to be Kind

 

Teaching Kids to be Kind

 

In a world where meanness seems to be surrounding us and, therefore, our children see too much of it, what can we do to raise kind kids?

The good thing to know is that kindness can not only be modeled but also taught!

When we teach our children social skills, we are teaching them the rules of behavior that we expect from them, and they encompass treating others with kindness.

What does that mean? How do children understand and interpret those rules? Well they understand that being kind includes not using mean words, not making fun of others, no pushing or hurting siblings, friends or anyone for that matter.

Those are the no-nos, but the positive outcomes of being kind have to do with having empathy and helping someone, giving compliments, being thoughtful, standing up for others and definitely using their magic words and smiling and greeting those around them!

Being kind makes kids better people and when they are adults, they will reap benefits from it because it is a fundamental skill to have personal success. It allows them to work well with groups (team work) and to care about the needs of others. It will help them in such basic activities as knowing how to behave as a guest at a formal dinner, when and how to write a thank you note and how to kill that job interview!

So as parents and educators, lets devote some time to teaching kindness to the kids in our lives. 

I end with a suggestion, if you have not read my book "Etiquette for the Kids in your Life" pick up a copy in Amazon. It provides you with time tested strategies to teach kindness and good manners to your kids.

 

 

 

 

ETIQUETTE TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAY MEAL

 

Here are some tips for your Holiday Meal

1-    Make sure that you plan in advance, so you are not stressed out when guests begin to arrive.

2-    Tell your guests when you invite them whether the event will be indoors or out and if you are inquiring about vaccination status do so when you make the invitation.

3-    Prepare a table for the Children with coloring pages or crafts so they can keep busy before the meal is served.

     Remember when setting the table that the correct placement of the utensils is FORKS      to the left of the plate and KNIVES & SPOONS to the right.

     Avoid conflicting topics at the table such as politics or religion because the idea is to enjoy the company and have a good time.

5-    Forget about perfection and be always kind and considerate and show your love to those around you. That’s what etiquette is all about!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

From my family to yours!

 

 

Gracious Overnight Guest Etiquette

                                             Gracious Overnight Guests

Now that Memorial Day is so close, which announces that Summer is here, I think it is a good time to discuss some tips of guest etiquette.  When you are invited for the weekend to your friend’s or relative’s lake home or beach condo, you need to be so gracious that you will surely receive a repeat invite. Follow these tips and you will certainly be a shining star in the guests department.

Let’s start with the packing; Never over pack! Why? Simply because guest bedrooms are not usually the largest or the ones with huge closets and your arrival with four suitcases for a two night stay sends a really bad signal! Either you are planning on a longer stay that your host intends or you are not a savvy traveler.

When you arrive- Never empty handed but certainly there are some additional facets to this etiquette rule. The hostess gift guidelines indicate that you should never provide your hostess with something that will give more work, trouble or concern than your visit is worth. That being said bring for your weekend, food and drink, that knowing your host/hostess will enjoy and be appropriated to the place and time. If it is a vacation home, that will be vacant after your visit don’t take plants for instance. Some decorating touch with the theme of the lake or beach, such as kitchen towels or disposable bathroom tissues are always welcomed.

Once you are there – Never keep your own schedules, but adapt to your host’s house rules. If you are the kind that wakes up at 5 a.m. and starts fidgeting around the kitchen to make coffee, but nothing moves in that house until 8 a.m., control your impulses. Stay in your bed or sneak out of the house for a morning walk if you must, but make sure you don’t  make unnecessary noise or wake anyone up.

Another really important rule that well mannered guests always follow, is to be helpful! Offer to help with the cooking or the dish washing, or with pulling the boat out of the water. Whatever the situation calls for, but don’t simply stand by waiting to be served and entertained. That does not a polite guest make.

Finally, when it is time to leave – Never leave your room and bathroom in a mess! It is not a hotel room, where you have been staying; it is the home of someone close enough to you and kind enough to have opened their home to share with you for a fun stay.  Pick up after yourself, ask the hosts if they want you to remove the bedsheets and towels and place them in the washer (many families have this habit as it prepares the guest room for their next adventure).

If your hosts are having someone come over to clean up after you all leave, they might say not to bother, but you certainly must offer. In any case leave the area where you have been staying in as pristine a condition as you found it.

If you follow these guest etiquette rules, you are sure to be considered a courteous and polite friend or relative who the hosts will surely be very happy to invite again.

May you have many overnight invitations during the holiday weekends and all year long!

ETIQUETTE AS A LIFESTYLE..

Valentine's Etiquette during Covid Pandemic

 Etiqueta Excellence Manners

ETIQUETTE IN THE MONTH OF FRIENDSHIP & LOVE WITH COVID IN THE AIR

We made it to 2021! It has been almost a year since we celebrated with our love ones without worrying about masks or the size of the group or if anyone tested positive for Covid.  All that is not behind us yet, but we do have a lot to be thankful for and celebrating love is certainly good for our immune system.

During this month then, let's work on using the celebration of Friendship and Love, as a reason 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 and fostering nurturing family ties.

It is also a great month for celebrations and parties all of them keeping the rules that are the new normal. Small groups, social distancing, open spaces, back yards, but even with those in place we can still get invited to Valentine's Day parties in schools, clubs and churches and even at work . 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 a private etiquette class with a few close friends or family and  improve our social skills while letting our  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!

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.

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!

           

Thanksgiving Dinner Table

Decorating your Thanksgiving Table

Are you almost ready for your Thanksgiving dinner? You have bought all the ingredients for your favorite recipes. Family members are beginning to arrive. All is set, except you have not given enough thought to
setting your Thanksgiving table!

The decoration of your Thanksgiving dinner table is a very important aspect of your celebration and as such you should give it thought and time.

Here are some tips:
- First of all set up your table the day or night before. with enough time and without being rushed by having to check the bird in the oven.

- Take out all your "good" china, wine glasses, utensils. All those beautiful pieces that you don't normally use.

- Start by using a tablecloth with fall or specific Thanksgiving motif. If not use a cream or beige color one, which will serve as the first layer and upon which you can build your palate of fall colors.

- Remember to place your utensils correctly: forks to the left of the plate, knife and spoon to the right.

- If you wish place a name card in each setting, so that your guests will know where to sit when you call them to the dining room. As a hostess this is a great way to guarantee that your guests will be sitting next to people that they have things in common with or have not seen for a while and this makes it easy to reconnect.

- Use your creativity to decorate with flowers, garlands, pumpkins etc. to make sure that your table is as memorable as your food! See some images below for inspiration.

- Lastly, remember to be grateful! That is the reason for Thanksgiving, to remember to give thanks for our families, for all that we have accomplished this year and to realize that we must help those that are less fortunate than we are.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY READERS, FOLLOWERS AND MOST OF ALL TO MY STUDENTS, WHO HAVE GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY KNOWLEDGE OF ETIQUETTE AND GOOD MANNERS WITH THEM, IN THE HOPE OF MAKING THIS A MORE CIVIL SOCIETY, ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

An Invitation to a Saturday Afternoon Etiquette Spa!

Summer Vacation, the perfect time to polish your kids manners. Campamentos de Verano para sus Niños

With summer vacation upon us, it is the perfect opportunity to polish your children's manners by sending them to an interactive and fun Etiquette Camp. We offer various programs in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, that include Art, Spanish and Ballroom Dancing.  Call us to reserve your space.

BROWARD

 

PALM BEACH

Vacaciones de Verano, La oportunidad perfecta para mejorar los modales de nuestros hijos.

Inscribalo en uno de nuestros programas en Broward o Palm Beach. Divertidos y muy educativos!