Social Decorum


Almost gone are the days where ladies and gentlemen act like ladies and gentlemen.


I never remember being taught proper etiquette. Behaving properly was something I was taught by example, in my home, everyday.


In our fast paced lives where mothers work full time outside the home, and children are raised for most of the day by childcare workers, we must try extra hard to teach our children the social grace and manners that will serve them well all of their lives.




I hope you enjoy this page and I am sure we will all learn something we did not know before about proper etiquette.




Smile Ladies!

The reputation of Southern women for having the gift of fascination is perhaps due not to prettiness of feature more than to the brilliancy or sweetness of their ready smile. That Southern women are charming and "feminine" and lovable is proverbial. How many have noticed that Southern women always bow with the grace of a flower bending in the breeze and a smile like sudden sunshine. The unlovely woman bows as though her head were on a hinge and her smile sucked through a lemon. (Emily Post, 1940)



Shaking Hands

When a gentleman is introduced to a lady, she should be the one to offer him her hand to shake. (Emily Post, 1940)


Quiet Please!

Not to attract attention to oneself in public is one of the fundamental rules of good breeding. (Emily Post, 1940)


Ladies to the Right

There is a rule of utmost importance, that a lady is never seated on a gentleman's left, because according to etiquette a lady "on the left" was Not a "lady". (Emily Post, 1940)


Good Manners

Consideration for the rights and feelings of others is not merely a rule of behavior but the very foundation upon which social life is built. (Emily Post, 1940)


Don't be Late!

Let no one believe such nonsense as that it is smart to be late! (Emily Post, 1940)


First Impressions

The first impression that we make upon others intirely depends upon what we wear and how we wear it. Manners and speech are noted afterward, and character is discerned last of all. (Emily Post, 1940)


Hats off Gentlemen

Gentleman do not keep a hat on in the presence of ladies in a house....ever!! (Emily Post, 1940)















This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page