Last Updated on March 20, 2018

Good manners are great gifts we give our children and one another. “Hello,” “thank you,” and “goodbye” are words that may garner a good response or even crimp a smile on the face. Besides encouraging good manners, I generated a “Do Right List” of a few things that are just plain right to do.

We taught our children many on this list:

  • Answer the telephone with “Hello, this is ____. May I help you?”
  • When using the restroom, close the toilet seat, flush the toilet, wash your hands, and wipe the sink off after use.
  • Send a thank you note when you’ve received a gift or been someone’s guest.
  • Address adults by their last names unless otherwise given permission by the adult.
  • Arrive on time to functions.
  • Remember to RSVP an invitation on or before the requested due date.
  • Present a host or hostess gift when attending a function in someone’s home.
  • When dining in someone else’s home, wait for the host or hostess to begin his or her meal before eating.
  • Chew food with your mouth closed, and avoid speaking with food in your mouth.
  • As you first enter a room or gathering, greet everyone with a “hello.”
  • Young men: When meeting someone, firmly shake the person’s hand. Don’t forget to make eye contact.
  • Young ladies: Smooth your dress or skirt when sitting, and carefully cross your legs at the ankles.
  • Keep posture straight while sitting and walking.
  • Wait patiently rather than interrupting a conversation. If you must speak, “excuse me” is the proper way to interject.
  • As an overnight guest in a home, be sure to make up your bed and pick up your things.

I know this all may sound old-fashioned, but there are some common sense things that are just right. A “Do Right List” makes sense in the adult world, yet it begins by teaching our children early!

What would YOU add to this list?

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One Comment

  1. I love this list! I love that you have articulated the very things I have always cared about for myself, my husband and my daughter but haven't been able to say quite that well. I was taught to do most of these things as a child and as a result, I never feel uncomfortable when I am a guest or in a group setting. My husband was not raised with these values and often doesn't know what to say/how to act in a larger group (he just walks in quietly without talking to anyone). Then he sometimes embarrasses me when he eats our good friends food without asking first (even though they say it's ok- I am still not okay with it!) and rolls his eyes at me when I insist he be more polite with people. I know it's not required even with close friends, but it makes me feel like you are a thoughtful, considerate person when you do these things- thinking about others needs before your own! Maybe I will send him a link to this article 🙂 And I will definitely be using it as a reminder for things to teach our little girl as she gets older!

    Thank you!