Marti Genge, who owns Pages of Parenting Bookstore in Fayetteville, has started offering classes for children ages 4-9 to help parents encourage good manners.
The four-week program, Kidz Manners, offers social skills for today’s world. Pages of Parenting is located at 388 E. Sunbridge Drive and classes begin on Saturday, April 24. The cost is $25 per session.
Marti, who writes occasional book reviews for us here at nwaMotherlode said of the program, “I saw a lady doing this in NY and called her up. What’s great is it’s basic and not dress-up formal. The space is filling up fast.”
Here’s a weekly break-down:
Class One: Hi. My name is …
• Shaking hands and making introductions
• Maintaining eye contact
• Showing respect toward adults, elderly and important figures
• Starting conversations and meeting new people
• Avoiding negative behaviors
• Listening skills and body language
• Showing appreciation and gratitude
• Making and receiving phone calls
Class Two: Please & Thank You!
• How full is your bucket! Acts of kindness
• Things to do to be nice
• Being nice to people who are different
• Words of respect
• The importance of being honest and telling the truth
• Giving and receiving behaviors
• Thank you notes
Class Three: Dining Etiquette and Beyond
• Setting the table
• Appropriate behavior at the table
• Handling utensils and eating various foods
• Proper use of napkins, glassware and dishes
• How and when to enter and exit the table
• Mealtime conversation
Class Four: BFF and everyday encounters
• How to behave at school and on the playground
• Cyber etiquette and texting
• Birthday parties
• Movie theatre etiquette
• Playdate basics
• Restaurant behavior
• Bumping into a friend on the street
• Host and guest behaviors
• Entering and exiting elevators, bathrooms and buildings and more
Call Marti at 479-582-3139 to sign up for the classes, which are held on Saturdays from 10-11 a.m. or 1-2 p.m. If you can’t start on the 24th, talk to Marti about other possible times.
