Social Graces

In his newly published Bringing Up Girls, Dr. James Dobson writes:

A girl who has been trained properly is never completely

knocked off balance when she is in an unfamiliar circumstance.

She knows what is expected of her and how to deal with it. Her sense of self

worth is reinforced by the way adults react to her charm, poise,

and grace. For the mother who wants to give her daughter a

head start in life and help her compete socially, this is a great place to begin.

I love the thought that if I train them well, my girls will not be knocked of balance when they are in an unfamiliar circumstance. Isn't that a beautiful picture? What a gift to give my girls.

All good training, teaching social graces included, is a daily - (constant) endeavor. It requires direct training, setting a good example and sneaking in good object lessons as well. I am excited about a new book that I found recently that is going to the top of our read aloud books.

What I love about this book is that it uses stories from literature to illustrate manners. Remember, story is a pull strategy? I often say to my 4 year old, "Are you acting like The Beast, or a Beauty?" This instantly gives her a visual and gentle reminder from me to correct her behavior.

What about you? How do you teach social graces to your children? Today, the Homeschool Village is having a blog carnival and you can see how other parents are doing just that!

Looking Forward,

P.S. The MODsquad Blog is coming July 5! I am super excited to be part of this amazing blog for Mother's of Daughters. Follow us on twitter @modsquadmoms or find us on Facebook so you don't miss anything.