QUESTION: Is there a way I could teach my child to keep his elbows off the table? Also, how do I help them learn to use napkins and to wait until everyone has been served before beginning to eat?

All of which makes it crucial for manners to be instilled at a young age. It’s not about being old-fashioned, but about reinforcing those timeless activities that help teach proper ways to behave: ...

Dear Miss Manners: Well, now I am in trouble. My husband says that even Miss Manners says that I am incorrect. I am a wife and a mother. I feel that it is a duty of a mother to teach her children the ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Ten years ago, I was a working single mom to a loving, but rather difficult, 5-year-old boy. Not having enough bandwidth for everything, I decided to pick my battles in raising him.

Children’s etiquette isn’t what it used to be. Case in point: One of my students nailed me in the head with a doughnut. I teach a class for high school freshmen, and one recent morning, I felt ...

Do you feel hideously inadequate around moms with calm, composed, well-mannered children (surely their kids don’t slap random strangers at a museum)? Not surprisingly, modeling good behavior is key to ...

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are raising two children, ages 4 years and 17 months. One of our favorite go-to breakfast foods is a bowl of cereal. Here’s our kitchen quandary: When all the ...

As children get older, explain why good manners are important. People won’t generally notice those who have good manners, but they will stand out if they have bad manners. QUESTION: Is there a way I ...