JMC

The handshake is one of the most recognized and ingrained of all the polite behaviors.

If you have trouble remembering the diagram for a basic table setting, then this blog is for you. In fact, we’re not only going to teach you how to set the table, we already have.

Sure, we all know that it’s considered rude to interrupt someone. However, there are times when interruption is necessary, even critical. So, how do you handle behavior that’s normally improper, properly? Fortunately, there are manners for that (bet you didn’t see that coming)!

Though email may have rendered the idea of sitting at a desk and corresponding with actual ink on actual paper with our actual hands a quaint notion, the truth is that digital communication has made manners even more important. Electronic mail has created new ways to demonstrate mastery of social skill…or lack thereof. Below are five of the most useful tips to be conscious of when corresponding via email.

By 2008, nearly 80% of kids between the ages of 12 and 17 had a cell phone. At this writing, based on the rate of increase, it’s a fairly safe bet that percentage is now 99.9% (allowing, of course, for that handful of children raised by wolves or gorillas and such---hey, it happens). With cell phones, as with great power, comes great responsibility. If you haven’t already spoken with your children about when and when not to text, here are some ideas for having a productive conversation about cell phone manners (yep, there are manners for everything).

What Does It Mean to Be a Man? This Professor Might Have the Answer.

A conversation with Michael Kimmel, the founder and director of the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities.

A wedding. A birthday. A special meal. At some point during each of these occasions--and many others where drinking is involved--people will say, “Cheers” and clink their glasses together. Despite the risk of spilled drinks or chipped glassware, this practice is accepted without question...but why?

Ever since David and Goliath, bullying has been a serious societal problem. With the advent of the internet and mobile technology, bullying went viral. And, just as children need immunization against biological pathogens, they need strong defenses against the threat of bullying as well.

Even the crudest among us has heard you’re not supposed to put your elbows on the table. In fact, it’s so familiar, there’s even a nursery rhyme about it—and you know you’ve arrived when you have your own nursery rhyme, just like the plague (Ring Around the Rosie) or a homicidal English queen (Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary). It goes:

Mabel, Mabel, strong and able
Get your elbows off the table
This is not a horse's stable

But why?

Millions of people have disabilities. And just like individuals, disabilities come in different forms, with different stories and circumstances. Yet, while people without hearing or sight have made great strides adapting to the world around them and have normal lives, people without disabilities often still find themselves struggling with how to interact with them. And guess what, there are manners to help you navigate social interaction with people who have disabilities without awkwardness or insult.