Helping your child master these simple rules of etiquette will get him noticed — for all the right reasons.
By David Lowry, Ph.D.
Your child’s rude ‘tude isn’t always intentional. Sometimes kids just don’t realize it’s impolite to interrupt, pick their nose, or loudly observe that the lady walking in front of them has a large behind. And in the hustle and bustle of daily life, busy moms and dads don’t always have the time to focus on etiquette. But if you reinforce these 25 must-do manners, you’ll raise a polite, kind, well-liked child.-
Manner #1
When asking for something, say “Please.”
Manner #2
When receiving something, say “Thank you.”
Manner #3
Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency. They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.
Manner #4
If you do need to get somebody’s attention right away, the phrase “excuse me” is the most polite way for you to enter the conversation.
Manner #5
When you have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from many hours of grief later.
Manner #6
The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.
Manner #7
Do not comment on other people’s physical characteristics unless, of course, it’s to compliment them, which is always welcome.
Manner #8
When people ask you how you are, tell them and then ask them how they are.
Manner #9
When you have spent time at your friend’s house, remember to thank his or her parents for having you over and for the good time you had.
Manner #10
Knock on closed doors — and wait to see if there’s a response — before entering.
Manner #11
When you make a phone call, introduce yourself first and then ask if you can speak with the person you are calling.
Manner #12
Be appreciative and say “thank you” for any gift you receive. In the age of e-mail, a handwritten thank-you note can have a powerful effect.
Manner #13
Never use foul language in front of adults. Grown-ups already know all those words, and they find them boring and unpleasant.
Manner #14
Don’t call people mean names.
Manner #15
Do not make fun of anyone for any reason. Teasing shows others you are weak, and ganging up on someone else is cruel.
Manner #16
Even if a play or an assembly is boring, sit through it quietly and pretend that you are interested. The performers and presenters are doing their best.
Manner #17
If you bump into somebody, immediately say “Excuse me.”
Manner #18
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don’t pick your nose in public.
Manner #19
As you walk through a door, look to see if you can hold it open for someone else.
Manner #20
If you come across a parent, a teacher, or a neighbor working on something, ask if you can help. If they say “yes,” do so — you may learn something new.
Manner #21
When an adult asks you for a favor, do it without grumbling and with a smile.
Manner #22
When someone helps you, say “thank you.” That person will likely want to help you again. This is especially true with teachers!
Manner #23
Use eating utensils properly. If you are unsure how to do so, ask your parents to teach you or watch what adults do.
Manner #24
Keep a napkin on your lap; use it to wipe your mouth when necessary.
Manner #25
Don’t reach for things at the table; ask to have them passed.
‘Stargate Universe’ (Mon., May 9, 9PM ET on Syfy) and ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’ (Thurs., May 26, 10:30PM, Showtime) air their series finales this month, but it’s the end of ‘Smallville’ — which flies off into the TV sunset after 10 seasons (Fri., May 13, 8PM ET on The CW) — that got us thinking about the memorable ways some of our other shows have bid TV land adieu.
Our top 10 series finales list includes a couple of polarizing picks (you either loved or hated that Journey-blarin’, onion-ring-noshing ending for a certain family of New Joisey-ans), a couple we’re pretty sure you’ll agree are gems and a number one pick that we’d argue is the most clever, most unexpected TV series finale ever.
WARNING: In case you’re still catching up with some of these shows on DVD … there be spoilers ahead.
10. ‘The Wire’ Episode: ‘-30-’ Finale date: March 9, 2008 The big finish: Carcetti became governor, fabulist Templeton won a Pulitzer, Michael continued on his path of crime, promising student Dukie spiraled into a life of drugs and recovering addict Bubbles remained clean and was invited to dinner with his family. But the best moments of the finale came during the wake mock for soon-to-be former Baltimore detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), one of the most complicated, hilarious, devoted and sometimes corrupt cop characters in TV history, from one of the most complicated, compelling and sadly underappreciated dramas in TV history.
9. ‘Seinfeld’ Episode: ‘The Finale’ Finale date: May 14, 1998 The big finish: Sure, we know, it’s a polarizing episode, and some fans thought it was an ending unworthy of such a classic show. But we say it was a perfectly appropriate way to go out, as the “show about nothing” saw the four famous friends head off to the hoosegow precisely because they did nothing. Failure to do anything while they witnessed a man being robbed got Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer slapped with jail time after being convicted of criminal indifference, but it also provided the perfect opportunity to bring back a sea of the show’s famous guest characters, from the Soup Nazi to nutty David Puddy and every Babu, Low Talker and Poppy in between. Not to mention the judge: Arthur Vandelay.
8. ‘Arrested Development’ Episode: ‘Development Arrested’ Finale date: Feb. 10, 2006 The big finish: ’AD’ devotees are still bummed the show lasted just three seasons, but at least we got a proper series finale and the show ended on a high note. Bluth family martyr Michael (Jason Bateman) finally decided to put himself and his son, George Michael (Michael Cera). ahead of his greedy, self-obsessed relatives, so he scooted off to Cabo and left his fam to deal with their self-created messes. In Cabo, Michael awoke to find his father had followed him. And, in one of the show’s best meta moments, underage studio exec Maeby, Michael’s niece, pitched a story about her family to a big Hollywood producer: Ron Howard, an ‘AD’ producer and the man behind the show’s voiceovers, who cheekily tells her the Bluths would inspire a better movie than TV show. PS — We’re still waiting on that movie, Opie.
7. ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Episode: ‘The Last Show’ Finale date: March 19, 1977 The big finish: When new owners took over WJM and wanted to boost the station’s ratings, they fired everyone competent — including Mary (Mary Tyler Moore), Mr. Grant (Ed Asner), Murray (Gavin MacLeod) and Sue Ann (Betty White) — and kept on Ted Baxter (Ted Knight), one of the main reasons the evening news was so low-rated. Most of the staff took the news in stride — Mr. Grant flew in Mary’s old pals Rhoda (Valerie Harper) and Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) to cheer her up — but in what has become one of the most memorable scenes in TV land, the pals all bid each other farewell in the newsroom with a teary group hug that included a group shuffle to the tissue box.
6. ‘Cheers’ Episode: ‘One for the Road’ Finale date: May 20, 1993 The big finish: The ‘Cheers’ finale showed us once and for all whether or not sitcom super-couple Sam and Diane belonged together; they did not. Sam, as pal Norm pointed out, would only be at home with his one true love, the place where everybody knows your name.
5. ‘M*A*S*H’ Episode: ‘Goodbye, Farewell and Amen’ Finale date: Feb. 28, 1983 The big finish: The only thing more shocking than Klinger’s decision to remain in Korea after the war? The real reason behind Hawkeye’s (Alan Alda) meltdown in the iconic show’s series finale, one of the most-watched TV episodes ever. As the clip below shows, Alda (who earned an Emmy nomination for directing the series finale) turned Hawkeye’s usual flipness into a full-on breakdown as his psychiatrist forced him to remember the crushing death of an infant, a death he blamed on himself. Fortunately, the episode ended on a lighter, yet still emotionally powerful, note, with Hawkeye discovering the special “Goodbye” his BFF Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) had left for him … spelled out in rocks.
4. ‘The Shield’ Episode: ‘Family Meeting’ Finale date: Nov. 25, 2008 The big finish: Oh, Shane. Mr. Vendrell and his family’s demise is still so shocking and heartbreaking that it’s made better only by the fact that Shane’s portrayer, the incredible Walton Goggins, is now making his case for an Emmy on another great FX drama, ‘Justified.’ The Vendrell family was but a sample of those whose lives were ruined by the wily, completely corrupt Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), who, in the end, was on the receiving end of the most satisfying bit of karma in TV history: a desk job.
3. ‘The Fugitive’ Episode: ‘The Judgment’ Finale date: Aug. 29, 1967 The big finish: For four seasons, Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) had been on the lam, trying to clear his own name in the murder of his wife by tracking down the real culprit, the One-Armed Man. Every episode of the series was a gem, full of action and suspense, and it all paid off in the series ender, as Kimble finally cornered OAM at an amusement park, cleared his good name and reputation and even shook hands with Philip Gerard, the lawman who had been hot on Kimble’s trail throughout the show.
2. ‘The Sopranos’ Episode: ‘Made in America’ Finale date: June 10, 2007 The big finish: Sure, everyone was yelling at their TV screens when it aired, and it was only with a bit of perspective that we came to appreciate the brilliance of this ending: Even when half of his friends had been whacked and he was potentially facing some serious jail time, life went on for Tony Soprano. Or, maybe it was about how he never saw the end of his life coming. Again, that’s the brilliance of the hotly-debated, ambiguous ending, which series creator David Chase has only commented on vaguely in the years since the finale aired. We’re choosing to believe Tony survived, though this incredibly comprehensive counter-argument could sway us to the other side.
P.S.: We’ve been to Holsten’s and have sampled those onion rings … killer.
1. ‘Newhart’ Episode: ‘The Last Newhart’ Finale date: May 21, 1990 The big finish: It was all a dream! But not in that Bobby Ewing–in-the-shower kinda way (actually, a lot like that, except hilarious … intentionally so), as Chicago psychiatrist Bob Hartley — the character Bob Newhart played in his otherclassic sitcom, ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ — woke up in bed with his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), meaning the entire series of ‘Newhart,’ in which the titular star played Vermont innkeeper/do-it-yourself book author Dick Loudon, was all a dream. Yes, even Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl.
Did your favorites make the list? Are you ready to duke it out in the comments if not?
It’s been a rough week for those of us who still harbor childhood dreams of a career in outer space. NASA is about to launch its second-to-last shuttle mission and isn’t even accepting applications from aspiring astronauts. Plus the hunt for extraterrestrial life is on hold due to budget cuts. But if you still think space is the final frontier, let this flowchart be your guidance counselor:
Helping your child master these simple rules of etiquette will get him noticed — for all the right reasons.
